It is easiest to see the need for change from the women’s game.
Until 2004, there were semi-consistent women’s Test matches. After the International Women’s Cricket Council merged with the ICC in 2005, focus shifted to popularizing ODI and later, T20I cricket.
The consequence?
Suzie Bates and Sophie Devine retired from their legendary careers without playing a single Test. It would be a shame if Melie Kerr also suffered the same fate.
Recently, one-off Tests have picked up as part of the multi-format. However, most of these nations lack a proper domestic first-class system and there is usually not enough preparation before the Tests.
The Schedule is out of Control
For the mens’ game, the problem is different.
Franchise T20 leagues, domestic tournaments, World Cups every year, meaningless bilaterals, and Test series for the WTC.
There is no time to breathe for players.
We could abolish the Champions Trophy (or combine CT & ODI WC into a single 10-12 team competition), only have T20 World Cups every 4 years, install a more robust qualification system, and scrap all limited over bilaterals. But that is a discussion for a different today.
Today, let us focus on fixing Test cricket.
The Structure
Here is my proposal: an international franchise Test league.
First, let’s scrap the World Test Championship and most bilateral Test series. A small number of historic rivalries, such as the Ashes and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, could be protected separately.
The franchise league could begin with:
Three women’s teams, six men’s teams
Two dedicated Test windows each year: Once in the Northern Hemisphere (June-August) and once in the southern hemisphere (Nov-February). No other league, T20, or ODI cricket will take place during this time.
The format will be 2 sets of round-robin, one in each window followed by a 3-match final for the top two teams in the league.
Each men’s team will play 10 matches (5 round-robin x 2 windows)
Each women’s team will play 4 matches (2 x 2)
There were 42 men’s Test matches in 2025. There will be 33 franchise matches, leaving space in the calendar for the friendly India-Australia-England tri-series (Ashes/BGT).
There was 1 women’s Test in 2025 and 3 in 2024. The franchise league would ensure 9 Tests a year and will will expand to 15 Tests when a 4th team is added in the future.
Three Women’s Team Franchise
For a tournament that would played in two different parts of the world over a long-period of time, teams will require depth.
Each team will consist of 20-25 players.
No more than 3 players from the same nation can feature in the XI and no more than 5 in the squad.
With only India-England-South Africa-Australia currently playing Tests, we can create about 3 solid teams. As players from more countries are introduced, the format can expand to four teams.
Team 1 (24)
Australia: Phoebe Litchfield, Kim Garth, Tahlia McGrath, Jess Jonassen
Note: Bangladesh, Scotland, Ireland, Zimbabwe, and Netherlands women teams were not considered for this exercise but players from these countries should also be eligible to enter the auction.
For the mean’s team, we can create at least six decent squads with plenty of players that were left out. As players continue to improve, this can expand from a six-team to an eight-team tournament.
Team 1 (20)
Australia: Alex Carey (WK), Beau Webster, Pat Cummins
Afghanistan: Hashmatullah Shahidi
Bangladesh: Taijul Islam, Ebadot Hossain
England: Jacob Bethell, Rehan Ahmed
India: Rishabh Pant (WK), Sai Sudharsan
Ireland: Harry Tector
New Zealand: Henry Nicholls
Pakistan: Babar Azam, Noman Ali
Sri Lanka: Dinesh Chandimal (WK)
South Africa: Temba Bavuma, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi
West Indies: Joshua Da Silva (WK)
Zimbabwe: Ben Curran
Possible XI: 1. Ben Curran, 2. Jacob Bethell, 3. Henry Nicholls/Babar Azam, 4. Temba Bavuma (C), 5. Rishabh Pant, 6. Dinesh Chandimal/Beau Webster, 7. Alex Carey (WK), 8. Pat Cummins, 9. Keshav Maharaj, 10. Lungi Ngidi, 11. Ebadot Hossain
Team 2 (23)
Australia: Travis Head, Scott Boland
Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK)
Bangladesh: Mominul Haque, Hasan Mahmud
England: Jamie Smith (WK), Gus Atkinson
India: Devdutt Padikkal, Ravindra Jadeja, Akash Deep
Ireland: Andy Balbirnie
New Zealand: Will Young, Blair Tickner
Pakistan: Imam-ul-Haq, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi
Sri Lanka: Kusal Mendis (WK), Kasun Rajitha
South Africa: Dewald Brevis, Simon Harmer, Kagiso Rabada
West Indies: Shai Hope (WK)
Zimbabwe: Innocent Kaia
Possible XI: 1. Rahmanullah Gurbaz, 2. Travis Head, 3. Will Young, 4. Shai Hope (C), 5. Kusal Mendis, 6. Jamie Smith (WK), 7. Ravindra Jadeja, 8. Kagiso Rabada, 9. Gus Atkinson, 10. Hasan Mahmud/Simon Harmer, 11. Scott Boland
Team 3 (21)
Australia: Josh Inglis (WK), Josh Hazlewood
Afghanistan: Azmatullah Omarzai
Bangladesh: Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taskin Ahmed
England: Joe Root, Ollie Robinson
India: Dhruv Jurel (WK), Jasprit Bumrah, Washington Sundar
Ireland: Lorcan Tucker (WK)
New Zealand: Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke
Pakistan: Mohammd Rizwan (WK), Abrar Ahmed
Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Lahiru Kumara
South Africa: Tony de Zorzi, Wiaan Mulder, David Bedingham
West Indies: Amir Jangoo
Zimbabwe: Brian Bennett
Possible XI: 1. Tony de Zorzi/David Bedingham/Brian Bennett, 2. Pathum Nissanka, 3. Joe Root (C), 4. Daryl Mitchell, 5. Wiaan Mulder/Azmatullah Omarzai, 6. Washington Sundar, 7. Josh Inglis (WK), 8. Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 9. Josh Hazlewood, 10. Jasprit Bumrah, 11. Ollie Robinson
Team 4 (21)
Australia: Mitchell Starc
Afghanistan: Rahmat Shah
Bangladesh: Mushfiqur Rahim, Nahid Rana
England: James Rew (WK), Shoaib Bashir
India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Axar Patel
Ireland: Mark Adair
New Zealand: Tom Latham (WK), Glenn Phillips (WK), Kyle Jamieson
Pakistan: Shan Masood, Saud Shakeel
Sri Lanka: Dhananjaya de Silva, Prabath Jayasuriya
We estimated that it takes about $350,000-$1.4 million to host a Test match.
So, for these 42 franchise Test matches (33 men, 9 women), it would take anywhere from $14.7 million-$58.8 million.
That sound’s like a lot of money, but the ICC has been doing pretty well recently (thanks to the CT and the annual World Cups). Currently, the ICC has reserves of a whopping $704,624,000. Surely, they can shell out a few million on a Test league. If all fails, a small portion from the BGT/Ashes broadcasting revenues could be shared with the ICC.
And even though most host nations apart from India-England-Australia lose money, the ICC has made a profit from the WTC Finals.
The World Test Championship Final of 2025 earned the ICC $35,398,000 in revenue and cost them about $21,749,000.
WTC
Revenue
Expenses
Profit
2021
+$36,318,000
-$12,469,000
+$23,849,000
2023
+$39,773,000
-$11,994,000
+$27,779,000
2025
+$35,398,000
-$21,749,000.
+$13,649,000
Turns out, if you market the product enough, build some context, and there is a will, then there is definitely a way.
Final Thoughts
What about Test cricket makes it worth watching? Is it the battle between bat and ball? Ebbs and flows? Or do we value the larger context, the history of series like the Ashes, and the overall aura of Test cricket?
I have absolutely no doubt that Test cricket will continue to survive. After all, people have been questioning Test cricket’s survival since the 1900s, and it has done well.
But will it survive beyond the Big 3? I am not so sure.
Franchise Test cricket alongside the various franchise domestic T20 leagues will surely break the social fabric of international cricket, but it might be worth to at least experiment and try to give a new look to the format.
375 articles and four and a half years later, we are going back to our roots. Thanks to diplomat and cricket enthusiast—Michael Appleton to get me inspired and thinking on these lines again from this tweet:
To every 🏴 🇦🇺 🇮🇳 fan/journalist/former/current player complaining about the format of the WTC: I have a deal for you!
If you’re prepared to give up the five-match Test series that your three countries play, I can design a WTC in which everyone plays everyone the same amount!
That original article explored how to reduce the imbalance of the Big 3 (India, England, Australia) in WTC scheduling, but still keep the ‘marquee’ series like The Ashes or Border-Gavaskar Trophy. However, it was a bit too unrealistic.
Later, I would research how much money it takes to host a Test match and realized that finances are the root of almost all problems in the world of cricket. In all sense of the phrase—It’s the economy, stupid.
Today, I will try to put all of these ideas together and form a combined thesis towards a World Test Championship (WTC) system that (1) can realistically work in today’s world, (2) is financially viable, (3) includes equidistribution of Tests for every team, (4) implements two Test windows, and (5) come up with a realistic value for a Test match fund.
Part I: Solving the Equal Matches Per Team Problem
One of the major issues in the current iteration of the WTC is the imbalance of the number of Tests each team plays. This is due to the influence of the Big 3 as well as the high cost to host a Test.
Current World Test Championship Table
Here are the number of matches each team will play in the 2023-25 WTC cycle:
22 – England
19 – India, Australia
14 – New Zealand, Pakistan
13 – Sri Lanka, West Indies
12 – South Africa, Bangladesh
We can see that the Big 3 play 5-10 Tests more than each nation. This is mainly due to the ‘marquee’ series like Ashes (Aus-Eng), BGT (Aus-Ind), and Ind-Eng.
How can we keep the drama of the marquee series alive but ensure an equal footing for each team?
Solution: Sweet 17—One Match Sacrifice Required by The Big 3
To resolve this issue, we will introduce the two-tiered relegation promotion system.
Each tier will consist of six teams including Zimbabwe, Ireland, and Afghanistan (I mean, why give out Test status when you’re not going to have Afghanistan and Ireland play on a regular basis). We will show this by example with the current Top 6 rankings in the current WTC table.
Tier 1: India, Australia, England, South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka
Tier 2: Pakistan, West Indies, Bangladesh, Ireland, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan
The Constraints
Once we had this framework, the next question was what is the ideal number of matches each team in Tier 1 can play so that (1) there are no two-Test series, (2) each of the six teams plays each other once, (3) there is an equal amount of home and away matches, (4) India-Australia-England get to keep their ‘marquee’ series, and (5) most importantly, each team plays the same number of games.
I treated this challenge as a Sudoku puzzle. And boy was this a tough challenge! (Photos of my scribbling with my earlier attempts are at the bottom of the article for your kind perusal).
20-matches? Too many. 16 matches? Not enough to satisfy all the constraints.
17? Ahh, there’s the goldilocks zone!
Here is the solution I came up with:
Each team plays two 4-Test series and three 3-Test series, for a total of 17 matches each.
The 17 Tests are going to be divided in 7-home, 7-away, and 3-neutral Tests, where each of the Big 3 get to host one neutral series.
The 7-home and 7-away matches will consist of exactly one 4-Test series and one 3-Test series.
Altogether, Tier 1 will consist of exactly 50 Tests.
Top 2 teams will compete in a 3-Test final series at a neutral venue (taking the total to 53 Tests).
The crux? India-Australia and the Ashes have to sacrifice the 5-Test series. I tried adding a 5-4-3 solution (one 5-match series, one 4-match, and one three match series, but it would require NZ-SL to play 5 Tests or the Ashes to be reduced to 3 Tests).
Two 4-match series worked out just right for everybody.
Tier 1 WTC Schedule Breakdown
IND
AUS
ENG
SA
NZ
SL
IND
X
4
4
3
3
3
AUS
4
X
4
3
3
3
ENG
4
4
X
3
3
3
SA
3
3
3
X
4
4
NZ
3
3
3
4
X
4
SL
3
3
3
4
4
X
Total
17
17
17
17
17
17
Legend
Home, Away
Neutral
Ind vs SL in Australia
Aus vs NZ in England
Eng vs SA in India
You can interpret the above table as follows: India hosts England (4 Tests) & New Zealand (3), play away tours to Australia (4 Tests) & South Africa (3), and finally play a 3-Test neutral series against Sri Lanka.
Tier 2 WTC Schedule Breakdown
Each team plays two 3-Test series and three 2-Test series, for a total of 12 matches each.
For this example, since Pakistan is in this tier, the UAE will be chosen as the neutral venue for all neutral matches.
Tier 2 will consist of exactly 36 Tests.
Top 2 teams will compete in a 3-Test final series at a neutral venue (taking the total to 39 Tests).
PAK
WI
BAN
ZIM
IRE
AFG
PAK
X
3
3
2
2
2
WI
3
X
3
2
2
2
BAN
3
3
X
2
2
2
ZIM
2
2
2
X
3
3
IRE
2
2
2
3
X
3
AFG
2
2
2
3
3
X
Total
12
12
12
12
12
12
Home, Away
Neutral
Pak vs Afg in UAE
WI vs Ire in UAE
Ban vs Zim in UAE
At the end of the WTC cycle, the bottom two teams from Tier 1 will be relegated to Tier 2, while both finalists from Tier 2 will be promoted to Tier 1.
Is it Too Much Test Cricket?
No.
Including the final series for both tiers, there will be a total of 92 Test matches in two years.
The first three iterations of the WTC had 61, 70, and 70 matches respectively. 92 here includes 12 Tests each for Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, Ireland and the two final series, which is pretty balanced overall.
The compromise for equal games for each team is that the Big 3 will play 3-5 Tests less than the usual, while the mid-tier teams will play 3-5 more Tests than usual.
In this model, we are asking South Africa, Sri Lanka, and New Zealand to host one 4-Test series in a two-year cycle, but do they have the money? Probably not (and that is why we are also having the neutral Tests hosted in India, England, Australia, or the UAE—countries that can afford it).
We had estimated last year that it takes a mammoth $350,000-$1.4 million to host a Test match and studied why teams like NZ & SA lose money while hosting a Test.
On the other of the spectrum, a series like Ashes can incur costs anywhere from $3-7 million. The cost depends on various factors such as technology, review system, support personnel, hotels, travel, security, etc. One quick example is Australian broadcasting using an 80-camera system for the BGT 2024-25 series.
Higher quality, but comes with higher costs.
Cost Estimation: So, How Much Money is Needed to Sustain a Fair WTC?
To estimate the cost of hosting the WTC, we will first presume that the Tests hosted by Big 3 as well as the two final series (3 Tests each) will be on the higher end of the hosting costs.
India, England, and Australia will each host 8 Teams (7 home + 1 neutral) for a total of 24 matches. The 6 Tests for the two final series will make it about 30 high-quality expensive Tests and 62 Tests on the lower end.
The 62 Tests will cost anywhere from $21.7 million-$86.8 million, while the 30 Tests will take about $70-210 million. Overall, a 92-Test WTC will cost somewhere between $91.7-296.8 million.
Where Will Get the Money From?
The ICC recently mentioned a possible $15 million Test match fund in the form of $10,000 minimum Test fee as well as a ‘touring fee’. That is a step in the right direction, but more targeted funding is needed.
In our WTC model, we are asking SA, SL, and NZ to host about 4 Tests more than they usually do and Afg, Zim, and Ireland to host 5 Tests each more than they usually do. That is about 27 extra Tests, which totals to $9.45 million-$37.8 million.
The ICC had a total surplus of $912 million as of December 2022 and have an estimated $200-$325 million profits in each of the last couple of years. Subsidizing the World Test Championship (WTC) with about 5-15% of their annual profits could solve the money problem.
If $17.5 million can be used to fund seven cricketers in a tournament that lasts less than 60 days, then surely $17.5 million could be found from somewhere (ICC + IPL + BCCI + sponsors) to fund six countries and Test cricket so it exists for the next 60 years.
The money in cricket exists. Just needs to be redistributed properly so that all interested parties are happy.
Note, from the current rankings, Tier 1 countries would include Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand. All of these 3 countries are located in the southern hemisphere and hence, will host all their home Tests in the November-January window, including the coveted Boxing Day Test.
West Indies, England, and Ireland will host both their home test series between the June-August window.
Meanwhile, subcontinental nations (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, UAE) can be more flexible and host one home series in each window.
Solution: Two 2-Hemisphere Test Match Windows
Here is how a potential two year cycle could look with the two separate windows without overcrowding the international calendar. We try to schedule Test cricket during peak summer times in each hemisphere to gain the most attention.
Test Match Window 1 Matches (November – January)
Tier 1
India in Australia (4 Tests), South Africa in Australia (3 Tests), India vs Sri Lanka in Australia (3 Tests)
Sri Lanka in South Africa (4 Tests), India in South Africa (3 Tests)
South Africa in New Zealand (4 Tests), England in New Zealand (3 Tests)
England in India (4 Tests), England vs South Africa in India (3 Tests)
Australia in Sri Lanka (3 Tests)
Tier 2
Bangladesh in Pakistan (3 Tests)
Afghanistan in Zimbabwe (3 Tests), Pakistan in Zimbabwe (2 Tests)
West Indies in Bangladesh (3 Tests)
Ireland in Afghanistan* (3 Tests)
West Indies vs Ireland in UAE (2 Tests), Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe in UAE (2 Tests)
Test Match Window 2 Matches (June – August)
Tier 1
Australia in England (4 Tests), Sri Lanka in England (3 Tests), Australia vs New Zealand in England (3 Tests)
New Zealand in India (3 Tests)
New Zealand in Sri Lanka (4 Tests)
Tier 2
Zimbabwe in Ireland (3 Tests), Bangladesh in Ireland (2 Tests)
Pakistan in West Indies (3 Tests), Zimbabwe in West Indies (2 Tests)
Bonus: Will West Indies Never Play India or Australia Again in this Model?
I know what you might be thinking.
If India, Australia, or England never relegate and West Indies never get promoted…are the days of the mighty West Indies versus the Australians and Indians over? 60 years of legacy down the drain?
Not quite. We have an addendum for this scenario as well.
One Optional Friendly Series Between the Two Tiers
If both teams agree (and there is space in the international calendar), an optional 1 to 3-match friendly Test series can be played between a country of the first and second tier. In our example, we may have:
India vs Afghanistan
Australia vs Zimbabwe (This is never going to happen, is it?)
Australia vs Pakistan
England vs Ireland
South Africa vs Zimbabwe
New Zealand vs West Indies
Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh
This can serve as (1) a practice tour (India playing Zimbabwe on way to their South Africa series), (2) a promotional event (India-Pakistan one-off Test in UAE), or (3) an actual friendly series to encourage lower-ranked countries to stay serious about Test cricket.
Final Thoughts
Is it the perfect plan?
No. In fact, there is never such a thing as a ‘perfect plan.’
But we can continue to strive for a more perfect system, can’t we?
At least it is good to see that World Test Championship (WTC) is taking flight. 4 years ago, not many took this as a serious competition or offered solutions. Now there is plenty of debate, which is good to see.
In 2020, I was quixotic with my outlook on cricket. Thought anything was possible.
In 2021, I was hopeless, doubting the system at every stage.
By the time we reached 2024, I became practical. And as we approach 2025, I have become a little more realistic.
Hopefully, this solution is actually realistic for the ICC and others in charge of cricket to consider.
****
Thank you all for reading! Comment below (or on social media about your thoughts and suggestions).
PS: Here is some bonus work on trying to find the ideal number of matches each team should play.
Four years ago I was really excited when the idea of the World Test Championship came out. I mean, it was partially a reason for me to start this blog.
However, with the recent overseas wins of NZ in India, SA in Bangladesh, and Bangladesh in Pakistan—that hope has rekindled.
Therefore, this is a good time for us to revisit the WTC alternative points table algorithm my friend and I had created four years ago to create a more balanced system. For this WTC cycle, I analyzed each of the 51 Test matches and 578 completed sessions one-by-one so you don’t have to.
Before we start, he is a quick refresher on how our alternative points table worked.
Our WTC points table algorithm (1) distributes points on a session-by-session basis rather than an all-or-nothing system for a Test match, (2) includes Home/Away points for both wins & draws, and (3) includes a bonus to reward massive victories (Test match net run rate equivalent).
Points are calculated as follows:
2 points per session won, 1 point per session Tied
There are 15 maximum sessions in a Test (3 sessions per day), so 30 points maximum per Test for the session-by-session category
The details of the algorithm used to decide who won each session is outlined in the original article and is left as an exercise to the reader.
Bonus: 2 * (Number of Sessions Remaining)
Example: If the Test finishes at the end of Day 4, the winning team would get 6 bonus points – (2 * (3 sessions remaining))
Home/Away
Away wins and away draws would be awarded more points.
16 – Home Win, 8 – Home Draw
24 – Away Win, 12 – Away Draw
The maximum points a team could earn per Test is outlined below (Example: 24 – away win points + 30 session points = 54 total if the team won all the sessions).
Points
Win
Draw
Loss
Maximum Points Possible (Per Match)
Home
16
8
0
46
Away
24
12
0
54
Average*
20
10
0
50
Home & Away Points
Finally, since each team plays a different number of matches, we will take a percentage determined by (total points earned)/(maximum points possible*).
The maximum points possible will be determined by (number of matches played * 50), where we choose 50 because it is the average between 46 & 54 and would hence, weight away wins & draws more.
I coded this algorithm in R & Python and double checked the calculations by hand for the session-by-session analysis.
🇦🇺 BEAT 🏴 by 2 wickets, Birmingham 🇦🇺 BEAT 🏴 by 43 runs, Lord’s 🇮🇳 BEAT 🌴 by inn & 141 runs, Roseau 🇵🇰 BEAT 🇱🇰 by 4 wickets, Galle 🇵🇰 BEAT 🇱🇰 by inn & 222 runs, SSC 🇳🇿 BEAT 🇧🇩 by 4 wickets, Mirpur 🇮🇳 BEAT 🇿🇦 by 7 wickets, Cape Town 🌴 BEAT 🇦🇺 by 8 runs, Brisbane 🏴 BEAT 🇮🇳… pic.twitter.com/b55YlIHHzZ
— Broken Cricket Dreams Cricket Blog (@cricket_broken) November 10, 2024
Key Takeaways
45% (23/51) WTC matches in this cycle so far have been won by away teams.
England (79) & India (76) won the most sessions so far, while Australia (47) have tied the most sessions. West Indies (24) & Bangladesh (29) have had the least session wins in this cycle of the WTC so far
We have had a spectacular run of dramatic overseas victories. Each team has had at least one overseas win:
South Africa 1-0 in West Indies & 2-0 in Bangladesh
Australia won 2 Tests each in England & New Zealand
Bangladesh won in Pakistan 2-0
Pakistan won 2-0 in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka won 2-0 in Bangladesh and a Test in England
England won one Test each in India & Pakistan
The India vs South Africa Test at Cape Town was the shortest Test ever, lasting only 5 sessions.
South Africa won all 9 out of 9 sessions in the recent 2nd Test vs Bangladesh and received the maximum possible 54 points for the Test in our points system.
WTC 2023-2025 Alternative Points Table – Results
Here is our alternative WTC 2023-25 points table at a glance.
Team
Total Points
AverageMax Points Possible*
BCD Percentage
Actual WTC Percentage
Australia
379
600
63.17%
62.50%
India
410
700
58.60%
58.33%
South Africa
233
400
58.25%
54.17%
Sri Lanka
239
450
53.11%
55.56%
New Zealand
277
550
50.36%
54.55%
England
411
950
43.26%
40.79%
Pakistan
206
500
41.2%
33.33%
Bangladesh
162
500
32.4%
27.50%
West Indies
122
450
27.11%
18.52%
*Note: We have added the same over-rate deductions as the current WTC table does (19 for England, 10 – Australia, 8 – Pakistan, 3 – Bangladesh 2 – India)
Observations
Our points table heavily rewards South Africa, who have dominated 3 overseas Tests (1 vs WI, 2 vs Bangladesh).
Sri Lanka are close by with 3 overseas Tests wins as well (2 vs Bangladesh, 1 vs England) but they lost points to Pakistan at home. Similarly, NZ had a good show vs Bangladesh & India away, but lost convincingly 0-2 against Australia (home) & Sri Lanka (away)
The interesting point our points table highlights is showcasing how close a Test match or Test series was. For example, the 2-2 Ashes translates into 132-118 in favor of Australia (due to overseas wins and draw).
In addition, no two Test series are alike.
The Pakistan-Bangladesh 2-Test series (where Pakistan batted well initially and even declared) resulted in 84-24 points in favor of Bangladesh. This series was closer than the SA-Ban series (101-7 in favor of SA), where SA completely decimated Bangladesh.
Appendix: WTC 2023-25 Match By Match Break Down
If you want to look at the particular series or team, here is a table of content organized by home team for easier access:
Which 10 Teams Will Play in the 2023 ICC ODI Cricket World Cup Qualifier? Ireland, Nepal, Netherlands, Oman, Scotland, Sri Lanka, UAE, USA, West Indies, and Zimbabwe will compete in the 2023 ICC ODI Cricket World Cup Qualifier.
Get ready for an exhilarating journey as we dive into our complete guide to the 2023 ICC ODI Cricket World Cup Qualifier!
This article will provide you with an in-depth look at the ten teams competing for a coveted spot in the upcoming World Cup. We’ll explore their squads, examine the schedule and fixtures, and offer a comprehensive preview of what’s in store for cricket fans worldwide.
Let’s begin!
2023 ICC ODI World Cup Qualifier Teams: Road to the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup
32 teams began their journey for 10 spots for the 2023 ODI World Cup.
Teams played in the ODI Super League, World Cup League 2, Challenge League, and Qualifier Play-off (from the Challenge League) to get to the qualifiers. Here’s a quick summary of the road to the 2023 World Cup Qualifier.
ODI Super League: Ranked 1-13 (Top 7 teams plus hosts India qualified directly for the World Cup, Bottom 5 in the World Cup Qualifier)
New Zealand, England, Bangladesh, India (hosts), Pakistan, Australia, Afghanistan, South Africa qualify directly for the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup.
West Indies, Sri Lanka, Ireland, Zimbabwe, Netherlands will have to compete in the ICC World Cup Qualifier.
League 2: Ranked 14-20 (Top 3 qualify for this ICC World Cup qualifier, Bottom 4 play the Qualifier Play-Off)
Scotland, Oman, Nepal qualify directly for the World Cup qualifier.
Namibia, United States, United Arab Emirates, Papua New Guinea had to go through the Qualifier Play-off.
Challenge League: Ranked 21-32 (Top 2 qualify for the Qualifier Play-Off)
Canada, Jersey qualify for the Qualifier play-off.
Other Teams: Singapore, Denmark, Malaysia, Vanuatu, Qatar, Hong Kong, Kenya, Uganda, Jersey, Bermuda, Italy (eliminated)
Qualifier Play-Off
United States & United Arab Emirates qualify for the World Cup qualifiers.
Namibia, Canada, Jersey, Papua New Guinea eliminated.
What is the Format for the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier?
Ten teams are divided in two groups of five.
The group stage will be in round-robin format and top three of each group will qualify for the Super Six stage.
Each team will play three matches in the Super Six stage (will play teams who were in the other Group Stage) and the Top 2 teams in the Super Six stage will qualify for the World Cup.
There will be a final on 9 July, 2023 but will have no impact on qualification.
How Many Matches Will be Played in the 2023 ODI World Cup Qualifier?
34 matches will be played in the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup qualifiers.
This includes 9 Super 20 group matches, nine Super-Six matches, four place play-off games, and one final.
Where will the 2023 ICC ODI Cricket World Cup Qualifier be played?
The 2023 ICC ODI World Cup Qualifier will be held in Zimbabwe. 4 venues will host the qualifier, two each in Harare and Bulawayo.
The four stadiums where the 2023 ICC ODI Cricket World Cup Qualifier is to be played are Harare Sports Club (Harare), Takashinga Sports Club (Harare), Queens Sports Club (Bulawayo), and Bulawayo Athletic Club (Bulawayo).
Matches in Group A will be played in Harare, while matches in Group B will be played in Bulawayo.
The Super Sixes will be played in Harare Sports Club and Queens Sports Club. The 7th Place Play-off & 9th Place Play-off will be held at Takshinga Sports Club.
How They Got Here: #1 in Qualifier Play-Off (League 2 Ranking: #5)
Captain: Monank Patel (WK)
Squad: Aaron Jones, Ali Khan, Jessy Singh, Nosthush Kenjige, Sushant Modani, Saiteja Mukkamalla, Saurabh Netravalkar, Abhishek Paradkar, Nisarg Patel, Kyle Phillip, Shayan Jahangir, Gajanand Singh, Steven Taylor, Usman Rafiq
Prediction: Should make the Super Six given their recent rise. Might give a run for their money in the Super Six, but they will probably not make the Top 2.
Squad: Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Graham Hume, Josh Little, Andy McBrine, Barry McCarthy, Peter Moor (WK), Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Loran Tucker (WK), Ben White, Craig Young
Prediction: Also one of the favorites, but may end up #3-4 in Super Six due to the tough competition
How They Got Here: #1 in League 2 (Direct Qualification)
Captain: Richie Berrington
Squad: Matthew Cross (WK), Alasdair Evans, Chris Greaves, Hamza Tahir, Jack Jarvis, Michael Leask, Tomas Mackintosh, Christopher McBride, Brandon McMullen, George Munsey, Adrian Neill, Safyaan Sharif, Chris Sole, Mark Watt
Prediction: Just like Ireland, will be in the running for the Top 2 spot but may not make it
ICC ODI Cricket World Cup Qualifier Fixtures & Schedule – Group Stage (June 18, 2023 – June 27, 2023)
Date
Team 1
Team 2
Group
Venue
June 18, 2023
Zimbabwe
Nepal
A
Harare Sports Club (Harare)
June 18, 2023
West Indies
USA
A
Takashinga Sports Club (Harare)
June 19, 2023
Sri Lanka
UAE
B
Queens Sports Club (Bulawayo)
June 19, 2023
Ireland
Oman
B
Bulawayo Athletic Club (Bulawayo)
June 20, 2023
Zimbabwe
Netherlands
A
Harare Sports Club (Harare)
June 20, 2023
Nepal
USA
A
Takashinga Sports Club (Harare)
June 21, 2023
Ireland
Scotland
B
Queens Sports Club (Bulawayo)
June 21, 2023
Oman
UAE
B
Bulawayo Athletic Club (Bulawayo)
June 22, 2023
Nepal
West Indies
A
Harare Sports Club (Harare)
June 22, 2023
Netherlands
USA
A
Takashinga Sports Club (Harare)
June 23, 2023
Oman
Sri Lanka
B
Queens Sports Club (Bulawayo)
June 23, 2023
Scotland
UAE
B
Bulawayo Athletic Club (Bulawayo)
June 24, 2023
Zimbabwe
West Indies
A
Harare Sports Club (Harare)
June 24, 2023
Nepal
Netherlands
A
Takashinga Sports Club (Harare)
June 25, 2023
Ireland
Sri Lanka
B
Queens Sports Club (Bulawayo)
June 25, 2023
Oman
Scotland
B
Bulawayo Athletic Club (Bulawayo)
June 26, 2023
Zimbabwe
USA
A
Harare Sports Club (Harare)
June 26, 2023
Netherlands
West Indies
A
Takashinga Sports Club (Harare)
June 27, 2023
Scotland
Sri Lanka
B
Queens Sports Club (Bulawayo)
June 27, 2023
Ireland
UAE
B
Bulawayo Athletic Club (Bulawayo)
ICC ODI Cricket World Cup Qualifier Fixtures & Schedule – Super Sixes Stage (June 29, 2023 – July 7, 2023)
Date
Team 1
Team 2
Venue
June 29, 2023
A2
B2
Queens Sports Club (Bulawayo)
June 30, 2023
A3
B1
Queens Sports Club (Bulawayo)
July 1, 2023
A1
B3
Harare Sports Club (Harare)
July 2, 2023
A2
B1
Queens Sports Club (Bulawayo)
July 3, 2023
A3
B2
Harare Sports Club (Harare)
July 4, 2023
A2
B3
Queens Sports Club (Bulawayo)
July 5, 2023
A1
B2
Harare Sports Club (Harare)
July 6, 2023
A3
B3
Queens Sports Club (Bulawayo)
July 7, 2023
A1
B1
Harare Sports Club (Harare)
ICC ODI Cricket World Cup Qualifier Fixtures & Schedule – Playoff Stage
Date
Playoff
Venue
June 30, 2023
7th Place Playoff Semi-Final
Takashinga Sports Club (Harare)
July 2, 2023
7th Place Playoff Semi-Final
Takashinga Sports Club (Harare)
July 4, 2023
7th Place Playoff
Takashinga Sports Club (Harare)
July 6, 2023
9th Place Playoff
Takashinga Sports Club (Harare)
ICC ODI Cricket World Cup Qualifier Fixtures & Schedule – The Final
Date
Final
Venue
July 9, 2023
TBD vs TBD
Harare Sports Club (Harare)
ICC ODI Cricket World Cup Qualifier – FAQs
Which teams will play in the 2023 ICC ODI Cricket World Cup Qualifiers?
Ireland, Nepal, Netherlands, Oman, Scotland, Sri Lanka, UAE, USA, West Indies, and Zimbabwe will compete in the 2023 ICC ODI Cricket World Cup Qualifier.
Where is the 2023 ICC ODI Cricket World Cup held?
The 2023 ICC ODI Cricket World Cup is held in Zimbabwe. It will be hosted in Harare and Bulawayo with four different stadiums in total (two in each city).
How many teams will qualify from the ODI World Cup Qualifiers to the main draw of the World Cup?
Only two teams will qualify for the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup to be held in India in October.
Which teams are favorites to qualify for the World Cup?
West Indies, Sri Lanka, Ireland, Scotland, and Zimbabwe are the favorites to get the two sports for the 2023 ODI World Cup.
Photo Credits: Original photo by Johan Rynners (ICC/ICC via Getty Images)
At the beginning of a One Day International (ODI) match, the teams would list 12 players, where the twelfth man actually could make a tangible impact in the game — The Super Sub.
They could either replace a bowler and finish their quota, be picked as a wicketkeeper (which usual substitutes could not without special permission) or could replace a batter for the remainder of the game.
Vikram Solanki, pictured above, was the first SuperSub. On July 7th, 2005 he became the first SuperSub after replacing Simon Jones (but didn’t get to bat since England finished the chase early).
The SuperSub Rule briefly lasted between 2005 and 2006, but due to its controversial nature, was removed by 2006.
Why did the SuperSub Innovation Fail?
The Super Sub rule failed due to the rigidity in the system.
The substitute player had to be picked before the toss. Hence, variations in the game could nullify the substitute selection. What if a team went with four pace bowlers and the ball started to stop a bit? What if a team needed an extra batter after an early collapse? The Super Sub could not flow with the game and hence, it failed to bring the results it once promised.
In addition, teams brought specialist fielders to replace bowlers to keep energy in the field, which was frowned upon by the opposition.
The X Factor Rule in Big Bash
The Big Bash is now trying out some innovations like the X-Factor.
The X-Factor has the chance of substituting a player after the 10th over in a T20 game, thereby giving both teams a fair level playing field and flexibility.
If ODI Cricket is to Survive, SuperSub and Other Innovations Need to Comeback
At a time when ODI cricket is struggling to find relevance, South Africa are willingly forfeiting an ODI series and jeopardizing their World Cup direct qualification chances to accommodate home grown T20 Leagues, innovations like the SuperSub should be added again.
If the ICC doesn’t act now, the ODI game is good as over.
What do you think? What other innovations could make the ODI game relevant again?
At the beginning of a One Day International (ODI) match, the teams would list 12 players, where the twelfth man actually could make a tangible impact in the game — The Super Sub. They could either replace a bowler and finish their quota, be picked as a wicketkeeper (which usual substitutes could not without special permission),or could replace a batter for the remainder of the game.
Who Was the First SuperSub in Cricket?
Vikram Solanki, pictured above, was the first SuperSub. On July 7th, 2005 he became the first SuperSub after replacing Simon Jones.
Why did the SuperSub Innovation Fail?
The Super Sub rule failed due to the rigidity in the system since the substitute player had to be picked before the toss.
How long did the SuperSub rule last?
The SuperSub rule lasted about one year, between 2005 and 2006.
In 1900, German mathematician David Hilbert proposed a list of 23 unsolved mathematics problems that would keep mathematicians busy for the next century.
And indeed, they did. Over the next hundred years, several of these challenging problems were either completely answered or partially solved. However, some of these problems remain unsolved even after a few centuries and failed attempts by great mathematicians.
So, at the turn of the 21st century, the Clay Institute of Mathematics put a $1 million reward (the hardest way to get a million dollars, I would say) for anyone who would solve any of the 7 proposed problems, known as the legendary Millennium Prize Problems [Millenium Maths Problem Explained in 90 Seconds].
So far, only one of them has been successfully solved (and the mathematician Grigori Perelman rejected the monetary award).
At this point, you must be thinking, “Why I am reading four paragraphs of math when I signed up for cricket?”
Don’t worry. Here comes the cricket.
2021 had a fair share of its problems for cricket—The Azeem Rafiq scandals, Tim Paine’s sexting exit, Thailand women losing a spot in the World Cup due to a flawed system, Glenn Maxwell, Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes, Tom Banton taking time off due to mental health, Quinton de Kock’s kneeling issue in the T20 World & then retiring from Test cricket at the age of 29, the dissolution of the ODI Super League, New Zealand & England pulling out of Pakistan, the Afghanistan crisis, The Hundred Vs County Cricket debate, and just a general overdose of the IPL & cricket.
For a full read on these issues, check the following articles out:
Today I propose a list of 15 problems that will keep the cricket community (ICC, administrators, and cricketers themselves) busy for the next decade.
This is by no means an exhaustive list. Neither do I have any monetary reward for you. I offer possible solutions—some of them you might like. Others? Not so much. So, then what is the point of all this?
The point is to churn up debate and conversations in the cricket community so eventually some of these solutions reach the upper echelons of the cricket boards and ICC. Comment below on your thoughts and ideas. Who knows, your idea might one day change cricket altogether.
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1. Need for a Global Cricket Calendar and T20 Leagues
The Problem: How can the cricket calendar provide space to the three international formats—Test, ODI, and T20I—as well as the growing T20 leagues?
These days, cricket is here, there, and everywhere. Today, we have the BPL, PSL, IPL, Global T20 Canda, T20 Vitality Blast, The Hundred, CPL, Shpageeza Cricket League, T10 League, SLPL, MSL, Super Smash, and the Big Bash running from January to December.
Cricket will hit its ceiling in the next 5-10 years. With new T20 leagues growing around the world, IPL becoming a 10-team venture (twice a year IPL also proposed), T10 leagues, The Hundred, a ‘Ninety-90 Bash’, & other retired professional leagues adding to the calendar, what is the limit?
And don’t get me wrong. Leagues are not necessarily a bad thing—more opportunities for Associate cricketers, professional life for players who cannot make their international XIs, and more match practice & auditions to make comeback cases, but it does threaten the existence of international cricket as a whole.
Two-Three month reservation for the pinnacle of international cricket (T20/ODI WC, WTC Final), without T20 leagues during this period.
Reinstatement of the Champions League as the center of the T20 yearly calendar.
Enforcement of maximum of 3 leagues per year for a nationally contracted player.
Eventually, cricket may need to adopt the soccer (European football) model.
International games reserved only for ODI World Cup qualification, WTC matches, and some friendlies/warm-ups. As many have suggested, bilateral T20Is should be scrapped totally.
Players contracted by year-long leagues. They take leave to play a couple of international games every now and then until the World Cup, which dominates the summer every couple of years.
Experimental formats like T10 cricket and ‘Ninety-90’ Bash should end. Who knows, we might be playing a Super Over league at this rate.
Possible Pitfalls
The Indian Premier League and the BCCI holds a bit of influence over the cricket finances. If they reject any of the calendar limits, that may the end of any negotiations even though all the other cricketing nations might agree.
2. Decisiveness and Pathways on Olympics
The Problem: The ICC on cricket’s inclusion in the Olympics—Yes, No, maybe so?
For too long, cricket has dabbled with the idea of being in the Olympics and are closer than ever in making a decision. The 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games will include a women’s 8-team T20 tournament. USA Cricket hopes for the inclusion of cricket in the 2028 LA Olympics and the 2032 Brisbane Olympics being ICC’s long-term goal.
However, what format will it be? T10? T20? If it is T10, does that mean cricket will have a fourth international format? How will qualification work? At this point, there are way too many questions and zero details on a path forward.
If cricket is serious about being in the Olympics, the administrators need to get their acts together. One or two meetings a year just doesn’t cut it.
Possible Solutions
It is worth a try regardless of the format. Ideally T20 cricket, starting from the 2028 LA Olympics (building upon USA’s Major League Cricket) would be great for the game.
The format of soccer’s 4 group of 4 is a good template (16 teams in the Olympics instead of 32 in the FIFA World Cup to keep the WC as the pinnacle product). If the T20I WC expands to 16-24 teams (both men/women) in the next decade, the Olympics can start with 8-12 teams with the best 2-3 teams qualifying from each region.
Not every country has cricketing infrastructure. To create a consistent following, cricket at Olympics can only succeed if it is at every iteration. Unless cricket stadiums are built in every nation on earth, the ICC will have some complications in the early years at the Olympics.
Another tricky slope to navigate is the West Indies. Since each nation like Jamaica and Barbados will play the Olympics as its own nation, those teams will be significantly weaker in strength than the West Indies cricket team.
3. Expansion of the Women’s Game and Need for WIPL
The Problem: Women’s cricket is now mainstream, but is the structure in place to take the game forward?
Between 2017- March 2020, women’s cricket enjoyed a sort of golden era. The quality of cricket and broadcast in the 2017 ODI World Cup brought new fans to the game, and a record 86,174 attendance at the MCG for the 2020 WT20 Final proved that women’s cricket was on the rise.
However, the pandemic has exposed several gaps in the women’s game. For almost 12 months, women’s international cricket was largely halted around the world while the men’s IPL happened twice. Several smaller boards like Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have not seen much gameplay. Although India have played a few internationals, there does not seem to be a plan for women’s domestic cricket. And a request for the women’s IPL is falling on deaf ears.
Add to that, the crisis faced by Thailand, one of the rising teams in women’s cricket. When omicron abruptly cancelled the qualifying tournament, it was tough to not see them qualify for the ODI World Cup despite being #1 in the group since their ODIs were not given ODI status.
Surely the structure and expansion in women’s cricket needs more thought, structure, and investment.
Multi-format series have been a brilliant idea but should become the standard across all teams.
The Hundred was a huge success for the women’s game in terms of awareness and equal split of men’s/women’s game. Each top league needs to adopt the same structure.
In order for the multi-format series to become the standard, more Test cricket and 3-day practice matches have to become the norm, which will take time.
4. Planned T20 Exposure for Cricket’s Growth
The Problem: Roadmap and resource management needed for the rapid growth of T20I cricket in emerging markets.
While women’s cricket and the Olympics are avenues to cricket’s global expansion, the ICC is utilizing T20 cricket for the spread of the game. In 2018, T20I status was granted to every cricket team (As of January 2022, 91 men’s teams and 53 women’s teams are in the T20I rankings). Further, a regional qualifier structure was provided for future T20 World Cups, which will be held every two years.
All this is good, but how are the resources going to be divided among these nations? Will they get professional international stadiums, broadcasting rights, DRS, and facilities? Will they be able to host tournaments? (like the earlier ICC Knockout tournaments). Step in the right direction, but a lot of work to do in the decade ahead.
Possible Solutions
Just like a major Asia Cup tournament, each continent should set up their own major tournament (separate from the regional qualifiers). This will ensure that there is a systematic ranking/room to grow for the newer teams in each continent, and they are not here just to make up the numbers.
Possible Pitfalls
If teams ranked at the very bottom continue to lose, they might leave the game altogether. Some sort of incentive needs to be provided to these lower ranked newer cricketing nations.
II. Standard of Cricket
5. Standardization of Pitches in Test Match Cricket
The Problem: How Can We Balance Pitches to Minimize Boring Draws and 2-Day Tests?
In the 2000s, stellar middle orders and flat pitches combined for some high scoring matches and boring draws. Over the last 5-10 years, a great crop of fast bowlers (and spinners in the subcontinent) combined with pitches suited to the home side has made 2-day and 3-day Tests a recurring event.
Possible Solutions
Keep the pitches suited to home teams with 4-Day Tests (more on this later)
Preparing pitches suited to overseas conditions in domestic cricket (example: More spin tracks – weather permitting – in England’s county circuit) or encouraging/funding spin from an age group level (How India progressively became a better fast bowling nation, England can do that in the long run).
ICC standardize the pitches across the globe.
Possible Pitfalls
The beauty of Test cricket is in its variety. If the batters cannot overcome the challenge, so be it. That is life.
6. The Toss
The Problem: Is the toss leading to too many predictable results?
It was clear in the IPL and the 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE that teams winning the toss and batting second had a higher probability of winning.
The beauty of the toss is in the uncertainty, and when things start to get predictable, innovation becomes the need of the hour.
Possible Solution
Tosses impact T20Is and Test cricket more than ODIs. So, one thought is to start experimenting with various ideas (listed below and more) in T20 leagues or domestic 4-day cricket, while leaving ODI cricket the same as it is now.
Each team alternates decision to bat/bowl in a series. (If an odd number, last match is decided by a coin toss…)
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Cricket is already complicated, why make it more complicated?
7. Bat Vs Ball Debate
The Problem: The Eternal Debate—How Can We better balance bat vs ball advantage?
This is the Riemann Hypothesis of cricket. A seemingly intuitive problem that is always up for discussion, has never been solved, and is the unproven underlying assumption that is the basis of strategy for the rest of cricket.
In limited overs cricket, the bat dominates (bigger bats, flat pitches, stronger players, etc.). In Test cricket over the last decade, the ball has dominated.
Possible Solutions
I have a truly marvelous solution to this, but the margins are too narrow to contain for my answer [Fermat’s Last Theorem].
Just kidding! Here they are:
Abolish wide behind leg side in limited overs. Small margins really do hurt the bowlers.
In Test cricket, one more review to the batting side instead of the bowling side.
In limited overs, one bowler can bowl a couple of overs more than the maximum limit of 10 overs (ODI) or 4 overs (T20I)
Possible Pitfalls
As players get physically stronger and technology increases, the balance will always remain one side or another. However, as spinners have shown in the middle overs in a T20 or fast bowlers during the death with the slower balls, adaptation of skill is required, not so much the mechanics of the bat and ball.
III. Survival of Test & ODI Cricket
8. Disparity Between Level of Performance in Test Cricket
The Problem: How can the gap between top and mid-tiered teams be reduced?
The gap between top and mid-tiered Test nations is gradually eroding confidence in Test cricket. Even though some spectacular matches in the last five years have reinvigorated Test cricket, gaps in skill level between the top sides and mid-tiered/bottom ranked teams makes for a boring viewing on the other end of the spectrum.
Social media’s pendulum swings from “Test cricket is the best format” claims to “Is Test cricket dying?” every few months.
Case and point: Men’s Ashes 2021-2022. Except for Jonny Bairstow’s 4th Test, there was absolutely no resistance. There have been several subsequent calls for the 5-Test Ashes to be reduced to a 3 or 4 match affair. If England, who play 10-15 Tests a year, are not properly utilizing resources and are behind the golden standard, how can we expect the likes of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, West Indies, Zimbabwe, Ireland, and Afghanistan to compete?
Possible Solutions
Regularized international schedule should dominate bilateral agreements. Australia’s refusal to host Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, and now Afghanistan (for other reasons) does not help smaller teams get the experience. The more the Top 4 countries play the mid-tiered teams, the better they will get in the long run.
Prioritizing domestic funding over white ball funding (County cricket vs white ball dominance)
Abolishment of two-Test series (The smaller countries only get to play 2 Tests while the Big 3 and South Africa gets 4-5 matches per series).
Relegation-Promotion system (details outlined below) in three brackets: Bracket A (#1-6), Bracket B (#7-12), and Bracket C (non-Test playing nations)
Money, money, money. Even the World Test Champions like New Zealand cannot afford to host more than two Tests due to finances. Ideally, we would like an equal distribution of Test match cricket, but if there are no finances, there is no cricket.
9. Associate nations, the ODI Super League, and the Expansion of Test Cricket
The Problem: Lack of clarity is hurting the survival of Associate nations, the backbone of global cricket.
The ODI Super League provided Ireland and Netherlands much needed game time against the top eight teams. Ireland actually has done a pretty decent job and Netherlands’ cricketers received much needed stability, but the inexplicable cancellation of the ODI Super League has stumped many. The World Test Championship has flaws, but the ODI Super League was a step in the right direction.
Yes, T20I is the right vehicle for growth in globalization of cricket, but should teams like Ireland be alienated, who have invested in ODI cricket and want to play Test cricket?
Possible Solutions
The ICC suggested that they may trial teams like Scotland and Netherlands into Test cricket as a temporary Test status. That might be a good move if it actually happens, but here are some other solutions:
Touring Associate and new Test nations before embarking on a 4-5 Test tour (playing ODIs/T20Is vs Scotland/Netherlands & 1-off Test vs Ireland before a series in England, vs Afghanistan before India, vs PNG before NZ & Aus, Namibia/Zimbabwe vs SA). This is happening more and more with Ireland’s progress, but it is only the beginning.
Revival of the Tri-Series? Similar idea as above, but to reduce logistic and travel issues, two full members plus an Associate nation for an ODI tri-series in a common location.
Mandatory 1-2 Associate players per squad per T20 league. Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Tim David, and Sandeep Lamichanne are great templates. These players will be a boon for the franchises, not a burden.
Possible Pitfalls
10. 4-Day Tests for Men, 5-Day Tests for Women?
The Problem: Making Test cricket accessible for spectators without jeopardizing the game.
The Decision Review System (DRS) and pink-ball day-night Tests have now been adopted as major innovations in the game which had resistance in the early days. In the age of technology and innovation, cricket has to find ways to re-invent itself and stay relevant every 5-10 years.
One such suggestion is 4-day Tests (plus a 5th day for rain affected games) for men’s cricket, while expanding to 5-day Tests in women’s cricket, especially since they do not play as many Tests.
Possible Solutions
Just like D/N Tests were tested one Test per series every now and then, similarly one of the Tests can be scheduled as a 4-day game (and vice-versa for women)
Possible Pitfalls
Draws. One of the major drivers for 5-matches in women’s Tests are the number of draws. This forces teams to declare early (even when they are trailing) and enforce follow-on more often. If men’s game introduces 4-day Tests, then strategies will similarly begin to change and/or draws will increase.
11. Fixes to the World Test Championship
The Problem: Test matches are now better contextualized, but a lot is still left to be desired in achieving a better system.
We have already provided several solutions for World Test Champions in our earlier articles (shown below), so here is a summary:
Number of Tests Played is uneven: In the first WTC cycle, England played 21 Tests, while West Indies, South Africa, and New Zealand played 11 each. Marquee series like Ashes, Border-Gavaskar, Basil D’Oliveira Trophy, etc. are 4-5 Tests each while SL & NZ only play 2 Tests regularly.
Currently no distinction is made for Home/Away advantage: Bangladesh winning in NZ, West Indies winning in Bangladesh, India winning in Australia, or Australia drawing in England should be worth more than home wins.
All-or-Nothing System:Test matches occur over 5 days or a max-of-15 sessions. One session can have a huge impact on the series. Yet, the points are awarded on an all-or-nothing basis.
No system is every going to be perfect, but at least more of an attempt can be made. One of the other pitfalls is the pandemic. This has severely restricted travels between countries and longer, more straining quarantine rules. Hence, even more uneven number of Tests are begin played.
IV. Other Concerns
12. Mental Health Support & Overkill of Cricket
The Problem: Mental Health Awareness A Necessity in Today’s sport
Non-stop cricket alongside heavy quarantine is changing the commitments of a professional cricketer. Itis no longer feasible to play three international formats, travel around the world, away from family, and still have a sane mental health.
Marcus Trescothick, Glenn Maxwell, and Ben Stokes are some of the many high-profile players who have taken time off the game to focus on their health. They have paved a way for many others in the future to follow. The real question is, does the cricket fraternity have the support each player needs and deserves?
Possible Solutions
Support Groups/Staff, Paid Leave
Separate teams for separate formats (Maximum of two formats per player)
Possible Pitfalls
Mental health is still looked as taboo in many cultures. Even though awareness is increasing, some players may still keep things to themselves, which is detrimental.
In addition to mental health, physical health is also a concern as more research is done on concussions in general. Concussion substitutes were a great innovation to the game, but it took the death of Phillip Hughes for the radical change. Let us make sure to be proactive before any such incidents. Injury prevention and player health should be duly monitored.
13. Spot Fixing and Associate Nations
The Problem: Match-Fixing for the Next Decade
Brendan Taylor’s story illustrates that even in the year 2022, match fixing & spot-fixing is still an issue cricket needs to be careful against. After the spot fixing that emerged from Pakistan’s tour of England in 2010 and the growth of T20 leagues, there is a lot more education and maturity in ICC’s anti-corruption unit.
However, teams like Zimbabwe and Associate nations, whose players do not earn a survivable income or cash flow from leagues, are easy targets for corruptors (as seen in the UAE). So the nature of match fixing might have changed since the 1990s, but it is still a problem that threatens the core fabric of the sport in one way or another.
Possible Solutions
The structure of the ICC anti-corruption unit and education before every major tournament shows that cricket has already matured in most of this regard. The real responsibility now lies on the players for self-reporting such approaches.
Healthy compensation for Associate players can also prevent such instances.
Possible Pitfalls
In the age of technology, new forms of corruption might appear (cyberattacks, ransomwares, NFTs?) ICC needs to be proactive and take actions earlier.
The Problem: ICC and cricket boards’ philosophical stand on the Afghanistan women’s team and the status of the men’s team.
Post the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in September, cricket’s stakeholders have been sending mixed messages. Australia rescinded their invitation to Afghanistan for a Test match due to a lack of a women’s team/Taliban’s stance on women. However, requirement for a women’s team was waived off when Afghanistan became a Full member four years ago.
The ICC allowed Afghanistan in the 2021 T20 World Cup at UAE and many Afghani players are contracted around the world despite the drama. On the other hand, Zimbabwe was not allowed to qualify for the 2019 ODI World Cup due to crisis in the Zimbabwean government.
Why are players/ sports’ teams penalized for government interference? Why is different approach taken against different countries? Who sets the precedent?
Possible Solutions
Afghanistan is a cricket-loving country, and we should not stop its growth despite political tensions. They have now qualified for their 2nd U-19 semi-finals in the last three attempts. Let the men’s team continue to blossom while promoting cricket in age levels for women’s cricket if situation allows.
Possible Pitfalls
Each country might have a different political relationship with Afghanistan, which may mean a conflict of interest. As a byproduct, the relationship between other cricket boards can get strained.
15. Player Behavior
Problem: Similar Player Behavorial Issues, Different Consequences
As players gain more power over administrators due to financial security and unions, there have been some side-effects. Players have been acting up a lot lately.
Shakib Al Hasan’s antics (not much backlash), Ollie Robinson’s tweets (socially alienated), Alex Hales & Joe Clarke (not selected in the national side), Sri Lanka’s players in England (suspended for six months), Steven Smith, David Warner, & Cameron Bancroft’s sandpaper gate ball tampering scandal (banned by Cricket Australia for 1 year), Netherlands’ ball tampering (4 matches ICC), Quinton de Kock defying teammates (kneeling and not playing) and Virat Kohli shouting at the stumps (no consequence).
Possible Solution
Digging up old tweets should be removed as a cultural practice.
For major offences, a uniform code of conduct that applies to every player regardless of the cricket board they are playing under.
An impartial body assigned to monitor and judge player behavior for uniform convictions
Possible Pitfalls
Each circumstance is different. Uniform offences might not be ideal. On the other hand, ICC vs national boards hierarchy will become muddled if ICC centralizes power.
This is not the end. More avenues and ideas to explore for sure. Please bring in your comments. Would love to hear YOUR opinion. Thanks everyone for reading ❤ Anyway, time to go the duel or swim across the shores of France…
*Thank You Credit: In conversation with my friend, Vandit. Thanks for listening to my ideas and engaging in meaningful discussion.
