Australia, England, and India Explore Split of Test Cricket into Two Tiers to Boost Rivalries

Jay Shah, now in charge of the International Cricket Council (ICC), along with Australia, England and India, are discussing possibly dividing test cricket into two levels. This change means the major three countries could play each other more often, making it as exciting as the recently finished Border Gavaskar series.

Shah, along with Cricket Australia's leader Mike Baird and England Cricket Board's top man Richard Thompson, are planning to have a meeting soon. From what knowledgeable people are saying, they're seriously thinking about introducing a two level format for Test cricket during their discussion.

Many people packed into stadiums and many watched on TV when Australia played against India recently. That series ended up being the fourth with the largest crowd in Australian cricket, and they're saying it's the most people ever to watch a Test series. This is why everyone is talking about it.

After the current Future Tours Program ends in 2027, they're planning on changing things with a new two division setup. This is all going to begin right around when Australia and England are playing against each other for their landmark 150th anniversary Test match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Recently, several prominent in cricket, including former India coach Ravi Shastri, have advocated for more high level contests between the top teams. Shastri, in particular, has criticized the current crowded fixture list, suggesting that fewer, but more meaningful, matches between the top teams would be beneficial for the survival and growth of Test cricket. He stated, "If you want Test cricket to succeed, the top teams need to play each other more often. You want real contests."

In the new plan they are considering, Australia, England, and India would continue to play each other two times every three years instead of waiting four years. This is mainly because the cricket groups in Australia want Cricket Australia to share the money better. Also, If Australia plays more often, they won't have as many years with lower earnings.

The proposal for two tiers of Test cricket could potentially look like this:

First Division (Seven Teams):

Australia, England, India, South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Pakistan.

Second Division:

West Indies, Bangladesh, Ireland, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe.

In 2016, someone shared an idea at the ICC about having seven countries in the best group and five in the second group. But, when smaller cricket countries heard about it, they were very upset. They thought the plan would make them less important and cut their chances to play against the major teams. The entire plan got put on hold because of it.

The cricket leaders in India, along with people from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Zimbabwe, were especially worried. Anurag Thakur, who was the head of Indian cricket at the time, said that if this happened, the smaller teams wouldn't make as much money and wouldn't get to play against the best teams.

The talk has changed because important boards are focused on making more money now. Disney Star in India, and Foxtel and Seven in Australia, very much want to see more games with the main three, especially when the teams from India and England are playing against each other.

The World Test Championship is receiving some criticism, especially from England. They think the setup is confusing and unfair to teams that play cricket regularly. The World Test Championship is really puzzling, in point of fact, is what Ben Stokes from England's team said. Stokes also added, "I don't think much about it. It's unusual to think you're competing for something that takes so long".

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