NZC hails planned changes to tests
New Zealand Cricket is welcoming a historic shift to breathe life into test cricket, set to be ratified on Friday, but a move to four-day test matches remains some time off.
Chief executives including NZC’s David White meet in Auckland today ahead of the International Cricket Council board meeting on Friday, where a world test championship and ODI league format is expected to be rubber stamped.
NZC chairman Greg Barclay, its representative on the ICC board for the past three years, said relevance and context in the international game was a big one for the smaller nations where test cricket is flatlining and can post a financial loss of up to $50,000 per match.
Under the proposal, a ninenation test championship would run over a cycle of two years from 2019. Teams would play three series, home and away, over two years, with the top-two sides meeting in a final at Lord’s. Two-test series would count for the same points as five-test series like the Ashes between Australia and England.
‘‘That’s the big thrust, that test cricket will get context and relevance through every game being played,’’ Barclay said.
‘‘It’s far more logical for us to play two-test and even one-test series, and certainly no more than three. All the smaller full member countries won’t get penalised for playing shorter series.
‘‘Under the future tours programme each country meets its commitments to other nations.’’
New Zealand will host just four tests in the home summer: two in December against West Indies and a rare financial bonanza against England in March including the country’s first day-night test in Auckland.
It’s a sign of things to come where the Black Caps will typically play eight tests in a calendar year under the new format. Clearly for NZC, the current state of test cricket can’t go on as broadcasters and fans turn away unless the opposition is England, India or Australia.
‘‘There are a lot of variables but it’s not unrealistic that $50,000 could be lost across a test match,’’ Barclay said.
‘‘It depends on the time of year and the opposition but it is a significant challenge to profitably run test matches. That certainly applies to us. Effectively the shorter form game at international level is subsidising test cricket.
‘‘We’ll make money out of the England tests but we’ll lose money out of the West Indies tests.’’
But the push towards four-day test cricket, which is being led by England and received high-level backing from Sir Richard Hadlee and Shane Bond in recent weeks, won’t progress too far this week.
Barclay doubted the powerful ICC cricket committee, comprising a host of top former internationals, would propose any serious discussion just yet.
‘‘NZC sees merit in playing four-day test matches but we realise there are a number of logistical issues to work through. Not least, how do you fit the same amount of cricket into four days in countries like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan where nightfall can be at quarter to six. There are practical issues to work through,’’ Barclay said.
‘‘There may well be a commitment to look at that, but the first part will be the ability on a limited basis to approve four-day test matches [for smaller nations like Ireland, Afghanistan and Zimbabwe].’’
Five-match ODI series - which the Black Caps will play at home against Pakistan and England this summer - will also be a thing of the past under the new ODI league.
Series would be capped at three matches, and contested by up to 13 teams in a three-year cycle leading up to World Cup qualification.
Other discussion points this week include the ICC strategic plan, notably the growth of women’s cricket and Twenty20 leagues; changes to the constitution allowing more independent ICC directors; re-forecasting budgets and funding of various member nations, the vexed issue of cricket in the Commonwealth and Olympic Games; and Pakistan’s status as a host nation subject to ongoing security assessments.