Former England captain Kevin Pietersen has as soon as once more weighed in on the way forward for Take a look at cricket. Reacting to current experiences concerning the potential division of Take a look at cricket into two tiers, Pietersen reminded his followers of a prediction he made again in 2021.
“Bear in mind what I stated just a few years in the past?????” Pietersen wrote on his X (previously Twitter) account, referring to his earlier assertion that by 2026, solely a handful of nations can be enjoying Take a look at cricket.
Pietersen’s 2021 Prediction
In September 2021, Pietersen predicted a major change in Take a look at cricket’s panorama. “In 2026, there’ll solely be just a few Take a look at-playing nations,” he had tweeted. He named England, India, and Australia as the first groups, with South Africa and Pakistan presumably becoming a member of them. He additionally prompt that the World Take a look at Championship would stop to exist by then, including, “No children need to play Exams! Its historical past will assist its survival with the larger boards.”
Quick ahead to 2025, and cricket’s powerbrokers are certainly discussing a two-division Take a look at construction. The Worldwide Cricket Council (ICC) is ready to deliberate on this proposal later this month.
ICC Considers Two-Tier Take a look at Construction
Based on experiences, ICC chair Jay Shah is scheduled to fulfill with Cricket Australia chair Mike Baird and England Cricket Board chair Richard Thompson to discover the opportunity of splitting Take a look at cricket into two tiers. The proposed construction goals to make sure that Australia, England, and India play one another extra steadily.
Beneath the present system, these groups face one another twice each 4 years. The brand new format would scale back this hole to a few years, boosting income from marquee collection just like the Ashes and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Theoretical Two-Division Take a look at Cricket Construction
If applied, the two-tier system would probably seem like this:
Division 1: South Africa, Australia, England, India, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Pakistan
Division 2: West Indies, Bangladesh, Eire, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe
Whereas this construction would profit the top-tier nations, it raises considerations for groups in Division 2. Smaller cricketing nations may lose alternatives to play in opposition to the perfect groups, affecting their progress and income.
Blended Reactions to the Proposal
The thought of dividing Take a look at cricket has sparked blended reactions. Former Indian coach Ravi Shastri not too long ago endorsed the idea. In his column for The Australian, Shastri wrote, “When the perfect groups play, the hardest and finest format of the sport remains to be alive and thriving.” He argued {that a} two-tier system with promotion and relegation may maintain the format aggressive.
Nevertheless, the Board of Management for Cricket in India (BCCI) beforehand opposed an identical proposal in 2016. Former BCCI president Anurag Thakur had voiced considerations concerning the adverse affect on smaller cricketing nations. “Within the two-tier system, they may lose out on so much, together with income and the chance to play in opposition to high groups. We don’t need that to occur,” Thakur had stated.
The Greater Image
Australia’s current five-Take a look at collection in opposition to India drew huge crowds, with over 837,000 spectators attending. The Boxing Day Take a look at on the MCG alone attracted a file 373,691 followers. Cricket Australia’s knowledge exhibits that Take a look at cricket stays extremely in style when high groups conflict.
Whereas the two-tier construction may guarantee extra blockbuster collection, it dangers marginalizing smaller cricketing nations. As discussions progress, it stays to be seen whether or not the ICC can strike a stability between profitability and inclusivity.
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