Newly-elected International Cricket Council chairman Jay Shah is driving the idea of a 2-tier Test cricket, if reports are to be believed. Australian media outlet The Age reported on Monday, January 6 that Shah was leading the charge alongside cricket boards from India, Australia and England to host more marquee Test series in the cricketing calendar.The move, if it is to be believed, comes after the record attendance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy where India and Australia played 5 Test matches. The BGT was the most attended non-Ashes series in the history of cricket in Australia, with 837,879 people attending the games in stadiums.advertisementThis was the fourth most attended series in the history of Australian cricket behind the Ashes series of 1936-37, 2017-18 and 1946-47.HOW DOES THE 2-TIER FORMAT WORK?In the 2-tier format - the top teams in the current cricketing environment like India, Australia, England, South Africa and New Zealand will play each other more often than they do. While the other teams like Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Ireland and Zimbabwe - who are not known for their Test prowess would be demoted to the 2nd tier of the format.This might include teams like Bangladesh and West Indies, who have not found success in Test cricket in the recent past. This format will see the top-tier teams compete against each other, while the lower-tier teams only stick to their division. There is no confirmation if this system will also include a provision for promotion and relegation.The idea of a 2-tier Test format was floated back in 2016, but was shot down by the then-Indian cricket board president Anurag Thakur after opposition from the smaller teams. Thakur had said that the 2-tier structure would marginalise the small teams and would not be fair to the spirit of cricket.“The BCCI is against the two-tier Test system because the smaller countries will lose out and the BCCI wants to take care of them,” then-BCCI president Anurag Thakur said in 2016.“It is necessary to protect their interests. In the two-tier system, they will lose out on a lot, including revenue and the opportunity to play against top teams. We don’t want that to happen. We want to work in the best interests of world cricket and that is why our team plays against all the countries,” Thakur added.However, there has been growing support from certain sections of broadcasters, who want to be even more profitable than they already are. Ravi Shastri, while commentating on the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy said that there was merit in the argument that big teams playing big teams would ensure the survival of Test cricket.“I’ve been a firm believer in that if you want Test cricket to survive and be alive and thriving, I think that’s the way to go,” Shastri said on SEN during the final Test match of the series.advertisement“The top teams play against each other more often, so there is a contest; you want contests,” he added.Possible teams in 2-tier structure1st DivisionSouth Africa, Australia, England, India, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.2nd DivisionWest Indies, Bangladesh, Ireland, Afghanistan and Zimbabwe.Published By: Kingshuk KusariPublished On: Jan 6, 2025Must Watch

In the 2-tier format – the top teams in the current cricketing environment like India, Australia, England, South Africa and New Zealand will play each other more often than they do. While the other teams like Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Ireland and Zimbabwe – who are not known for their Test prowess would be demoted to the […]

In the 2-tier format – the top teams in the current cricketing environment like India, Australia, England, South Africa and New Zealand will play each other more often than they do. While the other teams like Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Ireland and Zimbabwe – who are not known for their Test prowess would be demoted to the 2nd tier of the format.However, there has been growing support from certain sections of broadcasters, who want to be even more profitable than they already are. Ravi Shastri, while commentating on the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy said that there was merit in the argument that big teams playing big teams would ensure the survival of Test cricket.

Possible teams in 2-tier structure

“It is necessary to protect their interests. In the two-tier system, they will lose out on a lot, including revenue and the opportunity to play against top teams. We don’t want that to happen. We want to work in the best interests of world cricket and that is why our team plays against all the countries,” Thakur added.Kingshuk KusariThe move, if it is to be believed, comes after the record attendance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy where India and Australia played 5 Test matches. The BGT was the most attended non-Ashes series in the history of cricket in Australia, with 837,879 people attending the games in stadiums.This might include teams like Bangladesh and West Indies, who have not found success in Test cricket in the recent past.

The idea of a 2-tier Test format was floated back in 2016, but was shot down by the then-Indian cricket board president Anurag Thakur after opposition from the smaller teams. Thakur had said that the 2-tier structure would marginalise the small teams and would not be fair to the spirit of cricket.Jan 6, 2025

Published By: Newly-elected International Cricket Council chairman Jay Shah is driving the idea of a 2-tier Test cricket, if reports are to be believed. Australian media outlet The Age reported on Monday, January 6 that Shah was leading the charge alongside cricket boards from India, Australia and England to host more marquee Test series in the cricketing calendar.

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