New Test Cricket Premier League

[cricketspur]

As can be seen from results and performances in recent test matches, the test nations are now being divided into two sets of teams: the premier league and the others.

So I advocate creating a two tier test system, where the premier league would be Australia, India, South Africa England and Sri Lanka. The lower division (call it Division 1) would be NZ, West Indies, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.

We would have the bottom two from the premier league relegated and the top two from division 1 promoted. The associate nations would play amongst themselves and then get promoted to division 1 and (if they are good enough) the premier league.

This would stop any country getting test status until their results prove they deserve it - this would avoid another embarrassment similar to that caused by Bangladesh's elevation to test status..

Any thoughts?

 

[King Pietersen]

What's wrong with leaving Test cricket as it is? :/

 

[Dare]

dropping teams like NZ,Pak and WI down in the same group as Zimbabwe and Bangladesh would be just stupid. WI were the best in the world until the mid 90s, NZ were in the top 5 a few years ago and so was Pakistan.

Its good as it is. and are you saying that NZ,WI and Pakistan don't deserve their test status?

 

[mukund_nadkarni]

Good intentions, but I'm afraid wrong solution. What if SA pull away further from the rest, eh?
Also Pakistan and Sri Lanka have to get more matches. It's quite unfair on them to be playing very few Test matches and being considered as not good enough.

 

[max_dillon2007]

As can be seen from results and performances in recent test matches, the test nations are now being divided into two sets of teams: the premier league and the others.

So I advocate creating a two tier test system, where the premier league would be Australia, India, South Africa England and Sri Lanka. The lower division (call it Division 1) would be NZ, West Indies, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.

We would have the bottom two from the premier league relegated and the top two from division 1 promoted. The associate nations would play amongst themselves and then get promoted to division 1 and (if they are good enough) the premier league.

This would stop any country getting test status until their results prove they deserve it - this would avoid another embarrassment similar to that caused by Bangladesh's elevation to test status..

Any thoughts?

There is already such a system in place in ODI. It is far more deep than you can even think of. and yeah teams get relegated but those are the 9th and 10t hteams in the world whome you never paid attention. Though in test cricket Elite group is limited to 8 teams only and rest teams play in groups further below divided accordingly.

 

[SaiSrini]

People are looking for innovations and thats the era right now. You can say 'test cricket will do well if sporting pitches arrive, teams are well balanced' etc. But its not that perfect to do (for e.g. you cant always have equally balanced teams, or some of the wickets will be on either end of the extreme). In such cases, we got to look at other ways to spice up test cricket.

I think a test championship replacing the current bilateral format in the FTP would do good. Scrap out the current FTP and design a test championship where teams will play each other at home and away and then we can have a big grand finale where the top teams battle against each other for the test championship (where the finale will not have the option of a draw so as to get a winner).

 

[Precambrian]

Sides play each other once in about 2 years roughly. So Test Championship by definition is a non-feasible idea. Sides can change dramatically in such a period.

 

[King Cricket]

Well, dropping teams like Pakistan in the second division is simply ridiculous. I will suggest a different thing. Take away test licenses from teams like Zimbabwe or Bangladesh. Let them perform in the ODI's. Create a panel to monitor the ODI performances. Then, when the panel thinks that they have improved enough, give them the license to play tests.

 

[jordox]

So I advocate creating a two tier test system, where the premier league would be Australia, India, South Africa England and Sri Lanka. The lower division (call it Division 1) would be NZ, West Indies, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.

Well, that wouldn't make anything different, except destroy NZ, West Indian and Pakistani cricket. Bangladesh and Zimbabwe would never win, so "Division 1" would just be NZ, WI, and Pakistan who could never improve. Then, your relegation system makes it even worse, because you would have say, England and Sri Lanka being relegated to the lower division, then destroying their cricket. Silly idea.

 

[age of the fall]

Well, dropping teams like Pakistan in the second division is simply ridiculous. I will suggest a different thing. Take away test licenses from teams like Zimbabwe or Bangladesh. Let them perform in the ODI's. Create a panel to monitor the ODI performances. Then, when the panel thinks that they have improved enough, give them the license to play tests.

Taking away Banglas Test status would be fairly stupid at this point. They are improving every match. It won't be long before they start winning, or at least win a test match. IMO.

 

[cricketspur]

You miss the point, Australia, South Africa and the others in the premier league don't want to play Zim and Bangladesh - they are no opposition and they do not bring in crowds so there is a big revenue shortfall. But on the other hand if you want them to improve, let them play the likes of Pakistan and NZ...these are two teams in decline.

 

[King Cricket]

You miss the point, Australia, South Africa and the others in the premier league don't want to play Zim and Bangladesh - they are no opposition and they do not bring in crowds so there is a big revenue shortfall. But on the other hand if you want them to improve, let them play the likes of Pakistan and NZ...these are two teams in decline.

This will do nothing but destroy Pakistani and NZ cricket.

 

[cricketspur]

I have advocated that we need quality test cricket not quantity....people want to watch exciting test and one day matches...not the capitulation you normally see from Pakistan!!

 

[.::Stevo::.]

New Zealand cricket support is average as it is. By puting them in a division without Australia and England (their main rivals) would certainly kill cricket in NZ.

 

[jashan83]

Hi
I believe instead of a two tier test system with 5 teams each instead we should have a two tier system with 10 teams each and 3 promotions & relegation. Infact there should be a Tier 2 where in the worst performers of Tier 2 should be replaced by better one's in associate teams. It will infact not make Bangladesh type teams complacent as they have continuously lost to teams like Canada, Ireland etc. It will be a system based on merit. The teams can be

Tier 1: Aus, BD, Eng, Ind, Pak, NZ,SA, SL, WI & Zim
Tier 2: Any 10 of Ire, Neth, Scot, Afg, UAE, Nep, HK, Malay, PNG, Fiji, Ken, Nam, Ugan, Ber, USA, Can, Arg, Oman, Den
Tier 3: Rest of Teams

What Say?