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Under pressure from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the Bangladesh Cricket Board and two other boards, the ICC has decided to shelve the proposed two-tier system for Test cricket.
Published : 07 Sep 2016, 09:39 PM
The International Cricket Council withdrew its plan to introduce a two-tier Test structure until 2019, in its two-day Chief Executives Committee (CEC) meeting in Dubai on Wednesday.
Instead, the game's governing council zeroed down on a Test Champion playoff every two years.
The workshop where the representatives of the 10-Test playing nations met, explored ways to improve the quality of bilateral contests with focus on attracting more spectators across all formats of the game.
An espncricinfo report said the BCCI, Sri Lanka Cricket, the BCB and Zimbabwe Cricket had opposed the proposal, which had found support from the boards of Australia, England, South Africa, New Zealand, Pakistan and the West Indies.
Speaking of the discussions, ICC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) David Richardson said, "The focus has been on solutions that will grow fan interest and engagement by delivering high quality cricket, with the best players playing in an environment where every match counts.
"Encouragingly there is an appetite from the ten full members for more contexts around all three formats of the game and we have consensus on a range of areas."
"This includes the details of One Day International (ODI) and T20 structures and principles around Test cricket schedules, which include the concept of a Test Champion playoff every two years, and the opportunity for more nations to be involved," he added.
Richardson further stated that the ICC will contemplate some changes after the current cycle of Future Tours Program (FTP) ends in 2019.
"There are some complexities, not least because of scheduling and existing structures, but we envisage the changes being implemented for 2019," the former South African wicketkeeper said.
The ICC also reiterated its stance on creating a structure that will keep all the three formats healthy.
"Work will continue to develop a clear structure and position for each format over the coming months as the ICC collectively focuses on improving bi-lateral cricket for fans and players in the long run," Richardson said.
