The World Test Championship gave Test cricket a new lease of life at a time when the format was under scrutiny for being less exciting, with questions being raised over its future. With the WTC title at stake, bilateral series have gained a more competitive edge, with teams now battling not just for series wins but also for a place in the race for an ICC title. As the fourth WTC cycle gets underway, the ICC may need to take further significant steps to ensure the longest format remains relevant and continues to attract younger and newer audiences.
Meanwhile, the proposed WTC expansion to include all 12 full member nations is set to receive a thumbs-down, HT learns. The idea was suggested by an ICC working group headed by Cricket New Zealand’s Roger Twose, but it hasn’t got widespread support internally. That’s down to pure economics.
Ireland and Afghanistan, the two newest Test-playing nations, are understood to be wary of hosting even standalone Tests because of the financial burden involved. Industry estimates put the cost of staging a Test at around $1 million, making it a significant investment for smaller cricket boards. The lack of sufficient broadcast and commercial returns further adds to the challenge. Unless they host high-profile teams such as India, and, to a lesser extent, England, there is little scope for these nations to recover the expenses involved in staging a Test match.
Cricket Zimbabwe, however, is known to be pushing for a WTC berth. They played 11 Tests last year and even struck an arrangement for the England Cricket Board to pay them touring fees for their away Test. The critique against Ireland and Afghanistan is that they have done little with their Test status despite enjoying increased funding benefits. In Afghanistan’s case, however, increased costs of an adopted home present a unique challenge.
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There’s another argument: a lack of competition and uneven match-ups turn fans away. The India-Afghanistan one-off Test in New Chandigarh, played under the hot June sun, had a sparse crowd. Afghanistan batters were bowled out twice in 94.3 overs inside three days.
While the finer details of the next World Test Championship cycle are still being worked out, the existing model is expected to continue, allowing member boards to schedule bilateral series based on commercial viability. At present, only India, England and Australia contest five-Test series against one another on a home-and-away basis.
ICC exploring more ways
The ICC is also exploring ways to make the WTC more meaningful throughout its two-year cycle. There is a growing recognition that interest in the championship peaks only as the final approaches, with the average fan remaining relatively disengaged for much of the competition. Whether that comes through a revised points system or another structural change remains to be seen.
While future strategies are being drawn, the focus is to keep cricket’s most prestigious product alive. The caveat is that Test cricket needs to be “rightsized”, according to a key official. Test cricket for everyone continues to be seen as just an utopian idea.
