Cricket Special Edition: ICC steps forward to restore the legacy of test cricket
The hope of a World Test Championship has come a step closer after the International Cricket Council has announced to organise an official World Championship for the first time in 2013. In a decision taken on Tuesday, 14th September, ICC has announced that all the Test matches - from the date yet to be decided - should be played as part of a league.
The chief executive committee of ICC laid out a set of plans for Test and ODI cricket. Alongside the Test Championship, which has been put aside for some time, the CEC (chief executive committee) has suggested a reduced one-day World Cup and an extended World T20 tournament. The significance of the chief executive’s meeting in Cape Town, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh – the International Cricket Council knew that some emergency measures need to be taken.
With the introduction of shortest format of cricket the T20, the five-day cricket has remarkably lost the audience. The lucrative event of Indian Premier League (IPL) played a key role behind the lost fame of Test cricket in subcontinent. The declining fame of Test format pressed the ICC management and the former Test players to take some emergency measures to save the future of the oldest form of cricket.
Limited-over formats are ruling the landscape of cricket these days sidelining the purest form of cricket, the Test cricket. All those tournaments that crown a champion belong to the shorter formats of cricket like World T20 tournament, ODI World Cup, Champion Leagues, Champions Trophies and the Indian Premier League (IPL) etc. but the original and best form of cricket does not have any such rewarding championship.
So it was decided in the meeting of ICC’s chief executives that ICC will launch an official World Championship for Test cricket some time in 2013. A format was also proposed for the Test cricket in the meeting, according to which the Future Tours Programme (FTP) will entail a Test league running over four years. At the end of each period top four teams will qualify for a final round. The first play-off is planned to be held in 2013 in England at the home of cricket, the Lords.
The chief executive committee has also recommended reducing 2015 World Cup to 10 teams only. 50-day marathon of 2011 World Cup that will be held in subcontinent, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Netherlands-c753 in T20 format, has suggested including 16 teams in the World T20 tournament from 2012 onwards.
Alongside these measures, fair balanced Test match pitches are also necessary to develop the spectacle of five-day game, as the cricket fans want to see both the bowler as well as the batsman performing in the ground. Low and slow pitches of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Bangladesh-c747, favouring bat, are a poor example for Test cricket. As compared to the Bengali pitches, the tracks in South Africa are ideal for a five-day contest, as the pitches offer bounce as well as help the bowlers. At the same time the organizers should assure the players that test cricket is also a financially rewarding career just like T20 is. Not only the limited overs but also the lucrative rewards attract the freelance cricketers.
The organizers of the Test Championship should also ensure the players that test cricket also holds a financially rewarding career for them just like T20 has. It’s not only the limited overs but also the lucrative reward that attracts the freelance cricketers to IPL and other such leagues.
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