Idea Of World Cup Test Cricket Gaining Ground (3 Mar 1997)

3 March 1997

Idea of World Cup Test cricket gaining ground

By Qamar Ahmed

With the proliferation of one-day cricket and its popularity worldwide in the last decade, the idea of a World Cup of Test cricket is fast gaining momentum. In fact it is on the agenda of the next ICC meeting in July to be held at Lord`s. It was supposed to be discussed in the 1995 and 1996 meeting as well after Mathew Engel floated the idea in the 1995 `Wisden Almanack`, but had to be shelved.

What makes the cricket officials rethink about the whole concept is a fast growing disenchantment amongst the players because of the number of matches and competitions in which they have to commit themselves.

The Australian Player`s Association led by Tim May has already presented a paper to their cricket board expressing their concerns about commitments that the players have to make to be busy all the year round playing one-day cricket more than Test cricket.

If Test cricket is allowed to drag on as it is now with crowd interest diminishing in the countries like Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and West Indies and in some way in other cricket playing countries, a situation will come they think that a great majority of players will be playing one-day cricket which they do not like nor really respect.

Cricketers and those who know what this game is all about have already aired their views and they consider that Test cricket is the real test of their stamina and skill and one-day cricket only a carnival of entertainment, a profitable pastime which does not have that real aura about it as had the traditional game.

form of the game, five-day Test cricket, for the 21st century, says Mathew Engel.

Engel`s idea is that all Test series from one match to a six game series would count the same with winner gaining two points, the loser none and one point each for a drawn series played over several years. His idea does not include any playoffs as suggested by former Australian captain Ian Chappell.

Chappell`s idea is that for points table to run over a four year cycle, alternating with the one-day World Cup, with one match of a series designated as the one to count on the championship points. At the end of the cycle, the top four teams would play off in semi-finals and the winners in a final to be played on neutral ground. Chappell considers that the final could be a big attraction for television marketing. Another Australian Ross Ed- wards has his own plans. His idea entails the big six Test playing nations playing an equal number of home-and away Tests against each other over several years with the team gaining the maximum wins being declared the champion. Very similar to Engel`s idea. But what about the rest of the weaker playing nations. It surely would create disparity.

Another idea by John King, a cricket enthusiast takes account of many variables such as relative merits of home and away wins as well as quality of opposition.

Dr Ali Bacher, the managing director of the United Cricket Board of South Africa, has already announced his support and endorsed Engel`s plan. Majid Khan and Tim Lamb of the newly formed England and Wales Cricket Board at Lord`s also have aired their views in this regard and Bacher is sure that he will raise the issue at the ICC meeting.

Courtney Walsh, Wasim Akram are as much enthusiastic about it and have said so recently in Australia that they like the idea as has Clive LLoyd who said that he liked the concept of a competition to find out to determine the world`s best Test team.

Greg Chappell, the former Australian supremo as a batsman and captain has his own views about it.

"Do we need it, and who stands to gain from such a system. Unless the ICC takes control of the programming and that won`t happen, I see too many problems with this. It will be good for marketing and that is probably the main argument for it. The players are bubbling with revolt about the one-day cricket, they are being asked to play. There has to be a lot of thought given to programming and in that regard players are as badly considered now as they ever have been. I suppose a two year cycle leading to the top four teams playing off in a sort of World Cup type tournament as Clive Lloyd has suggested might be the beat idea but it would be difficult to organise." Chappell had said.

Ian chappell who was the first in 1991 to air his views about a championship of Tests says. "We have a world cup holder in the limited over version, why not a world champion of Test cricket? The thought of playing off for world championship should excite any self-respecting Test cricketer. If it doesn`t, Test matches are doomed to die the death of the dismal draw", he says.

Richie Benaud, the doyen of the game thinks otherwise.

"It seem to me that people are pushing their own ideas in the hope the administrators will choose their system. I am happy with computers rankings for players. They are good hotel bar discussion topics and perhaps that it what the Test championship ideas should be. I am happy with the state of Test cricket," he says.

Obviously there will be contrasting ideas in favour or against. When Pakistan, Australia, South Africa and West Indies now play at Test level the series of matches are tagged as world battle of Tests. To be frank all permutations are nothing more than hypothetical calculations. A championship would obviously set people`s minds at rest at least for four years once the idea is put into practice or else the cricketing world will never know the real merits of a Test team.

Source :: Dawn (https://xiber.com/dawn)