The iCC Move One Step Closer to Madness

       I came home drunk in the early hours of this morning after a night out, I had quick look at the BBC Sport home page then went to sleep.  I awoke thinking that I had read something in cricket about a new ICC Test League, I then thought to myself that is daft, told myself I must of misread something due to my drunken state.  But I was correct the ICC are looking to introduce a Test League and play-off system. Results will determine an official table, with the top four teams going head-to-head to decide a Test champion.  Are the ICC trying to destroy the last pure form of cricket?

       I know what was drinking but the has the ICC's chief executives' committee been drinking.  ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat says the board will convene "as soon as possible" to discuss the proposal.  He also said  "Introducing more meaningful context, means we now have the potential to follow international cricket that is even more exciting."

       Crowds at Test venues have dropped in many countries as the popularity of limited overs cricket, especially Twenty20, has increased thus prompting the ICC to search for ways to generate renewed interest in the more traditional formats.  In the England and Australia the prices for Test matches are to high due to the popularity of the Ashes Series.  People are willing to pay a lot to see these games therefore the county clubs hosting other tests still have high prices which drive people away.  Also wherever England seem to travel the prices for the tests seem to be aim at the travelling fans, pricing out the locals in places like the West Indies.

The CEC's meeting in Cape Town provided the following proposals,

1. The play-off should be held once every four years to determine the Test champion team with a request to hold the first such play-off in 2013.
2. The future tours programme should also consist of a one-day international league, the first to run from April 2011 until April 2014, culminating in the crowning of a one-day international league champion. This would run separate to the ICC Cricket World Cup
3. That the ICC Board should consider a 10-team format for the ICC's flagship event, the ICC Cricket World Cup, from 2015.
4. That the ICC Board should consider a 16-team format for the men's ICC World Twenty20 from 2012, with the women's event continuing to run alongside.
5. The introduction of Twenty20 International rankings table as soon as this is justifiable.  

       So lets take a quick look at each proposal.  The First proposal is the big one, a Test cricket league and play-off system.  The the ICC's chief executives' committee say this system intends to make all matches more competitive and have the potential to follow international cricket that is even more exciting.  Test Cricket in the past has never needed to be more competitive, currently there are two or three test sides that are currently a bit better than the rest and this system won't change that.
 
       By creating this league system, I am assuming, they want every Test side to play the others twice in a 4 year period and want more weighing on the result, they want games where one side has to win to get in the play-offs but this system can also has some major pitfalls.  If I was the captain of a side and I knew that anything but a loss would get me into the play-offs then I would get my team to play with more caution and if possible play for the draw.  This system can also be quite badly affected by weather, in Australia, South Africa and New Zealand far less Tests are affected by weather therefore most of there home games will be completed where as in England playing cricket in the Summer months doesn't stop rain affecting play.  In this system countries with variable weather would lose out. 

       There are a fair few kinks to be sorted out before this system should be introduced, if they want to increase attendances to Test matches bring the price of tickets down and don't price the locals out when top international team turns up.

      The second proposal is a far simpler idea to put into place, I don't have a problem with this.  A Test league and play-off would be a scheduling nightmare where as an ODI one but be much easier to sort out.  The first and second proposals will most likely be link in some manner so that a side travelling aboard for Test league match will have and ODI league match as well.  With the dates they have given they want to hold the play-offs and finals of the ODI league a year after the Test play-offs.  With sides having to leave a space in their schedules for the play-offs, the fans and the countries will only have short notice about whom, where and when they will playing.  This in itself could decrease the turnout at some the key matches of this new system.

      The third and fourth proposals seem show the demise of ODI's compared to Twenty20 matches.  By reducing the number of teams in the ICC Cricket World Cup to 10 and increasing the number in the ICC World Twenty20 to 16, the ICC is saying something dangerous here.  It looks like they are saying to the minor countries "Stop playing ODI's your not in the league and only a couple of you will get into the Cricket World Cup.  You should play Twenty20 cricket there is plenty of room for you in this tournament."  By doing this the ICC will decrease the number of ODI's that the minor countries will play against the top level and therefore reducing their chance of getting any better.

       And finally proposal five the most sensible one of the lot but does seem to go against the first two, it basically says the ranking system we have in ODI and Test cricket seems good lets introduce one for the Twenty20 format.

      On the whole I think most of these proposals will ruin cricket, if you want more people watching it reduce the prices we are in a global recession this is not the time to make rash decisions.  Can't wait for the views on TMS though.