Test championship deserves another shot

Test championship deserves another shot

The cricket world speaks highly about Test cricket and its benefits. It is one format which is kept above the other two (ODIs and T20s) but has lost its sheen in the last one decade. Test cricket should be preserved at any cost. If we leave Ashes out, there is hardly any series across the globe which could be termed as priceless.

The contest between Australia and England is taken hand to hand by viewers of the cricket loving nations but rest of the contest are played just to fulfill the commitments.

Test cricket is in dire straits and is in need of some meaningful context and a reason to breathe in this competitive world. I still remember that demand for World Test Championship gained momentum few years back with backing from the current and former players. Proposed as an annual event, it was little overloaded and therefore unworkable keeping in mind the importance of television rights, other big international series and T20 leagues. But the pouring of support forced ICC to think about it and the governing body decided to give it a go in 2013. However, the numerous hurdles, made life difficult for the event and it was shifted to 2017. The same story was repeated again and this idea was buried even before it saw the daylight.

The recent turn of events in Test cricket is enough to prove that scarping Test championship was a suicidal mistake. England couldn't stand in front of Australia in the last edition of the Ashes while they were also trounced by Sri Lanka. The English team was at its clinical best against India while their neighboring team Pakistan defeated Australia in UAE. Teams have found life difficult in the sub-continent and the same could be said about the contingents from this part of the world when they play outside their comfort zone. However, there have been instances where a visiting team has gone on to register an emphatic win.

The will to live and perform in the alien conditions has made Test matches interesting. Introduce a system wherein the top two teams in the rankings meet each other to decided a World Test Champion. The response will be completely different if this thought is put into practice. There should be a formula to stimulate Test cricket and hand someone a trophy after every two or three years. The governing body of international cricket will have to ensure that each and every top team play a Test series of minimum three-Test ( home and away) during the cycle. With every match counting and more points on offer for a away win, the teams will go all-out against each other. Australia and England should be allowed to play Ashes and accumulate points on the basis of their performance.

The ICC should start the championship with top eight Test playing nations and if it works, it can be expanded to include Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. The success of this idea could also bring semifinals under consideration after the first edition. Apart from this, a team which finishes at the top of the points table should be allowed to stage a mega final in its own backyard at the first go. It would be great for the sponsors and the spectators to watch a game where a winner takes all the pride and big chuck of money. The match referee should work closely with the pitch curator in order to produce an even pitch for the batsmen and bowlers. The toss shouldn't play an important role in deciding the outcome of this match.

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