I've said before that the current structure penalises teams like Kenya, Ireland, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe and Holland. To become more global I think Test cricket needs to shake the "elitist" image/mentality and open up to other countries. Is there too much snobbery - "oh they're not good enough so we won't let them join our elite" ?
I played snooker quite a bit, back a few years mind, and one good player reckoned the only way I'd improve was to play someone better than me. I completely disagree, if I wanted to watch and pick the balls out of the pocket I'd become a ref, the way to improve and learn is to play someone around your level and both gain more from it. OK you need to test yourself against better players to force yourself up to higher levels, but getting mullered every time doesn't teach you anything. And it is proven with Zimbabwe and Bangladesh, give each other a good game and it's not going to kill their confidence off and leave them beaten in three days embarrassingly.
So ffs ICC, restructure so we have less games and a proper Championship, bring in the teams on the fringe into the fold and open it up so other teams can join in. Have promotion and relegation, we know the main countries in Test cricket will beat windies easily so why keep playing them? How many Tests have England played in the past few years against the weaker teams?
vs West Indies (03/04-2009)
5 series : P5 W4 D0 L1 (Won 80.00%)
18 Tests : P18 W12 D5 L1 (Won 66.67%)
vs New Zealand (03/04-2009)
3 series : P3 W3 D0 L0 (Won 100.00%)
9 Tests : P9 W7 D1 L1 (Won 77.78%)
The only two series we've played ever against Bangladesh we won easily, 2-0 home and away. We've not lost to them or Zimbabwe in a Test, won 2-0 at home last time we played Zimbabwe in 2003 and both batting only once. So what is the point? Our record against those four weaker nations since 2000 is P43 W30 D9 L4 (Won 69.77%) When you're winning 2/3 of the time and losing only 1/11 is there any point?
There are enough teams with decent players, teams like Kenya and Holland have played in enough World Cups the former had more of a case to become a Test nation than Bangladesh in causing shocks at World Cups. There are at least half a dozen teams who could make a good challenge to the weaker Test nations, not needed to be frozen out of the very top permanently, but required to earn their right to play with the big boys. It would be a big change for Test cricket, but it has to be better than the slow and prehistoric way Tests are run. Competitors elected, one every 10-20 years and tours still agreed by the participants not set by the ICC. Christ even the counties moved forward by having two leagues, take the plunge ICC and move cricket into this century
Ah, another guy who was so near, yet so far! *sigh* Will we ever see it in our lifetime?
