India say no to plans for Test reform
Opposition to scheme for promotion and relegation Proposals for first division of seven and second of five
Ambitious plans to revolutionise Test cricket by introducing promotion and relegation are facing potentially ruinous opposition from India.
The proposal to reshape Test cricket into two divisions, with a top flight of seven and second division of five, are due to be discussed in Dubai this week and have the support of the England and Wales Cricket Board, Cricket Australia and boards in South Africa and New Zealand.
But the International Cricket Council looks to be splitting along familiar lines again with the Asian bloc, led by India, set to oppose the plans. Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have voiced their opposition to the idea and the West Indies and Zimbabwe are also unlikely to back the proposals given the likelihood that they will be in the bottom division.
It will be a blow to Dave Richardson, the ICC chief executive, who said in London this year that a league system would add meaning and context and help Test cricket survive.
The plans were discussed at the ICC’s annual meeting in July but a decision was delayed, with more time for a financial proposal to be completed. The ICC is due to discuss developments this week but opposition from the Board of Control for Cricket in India has been gathering pace, culminating in Anurag Thakur, the board’s chief executive, telling ESPN cricinfo yesterday that the plans would harm the smaller nations.
“As the governing body of the game, the ICC’s job is to popularise the game and increase its global reach,” Thakur said. “On the contrary, this system may be good for the top five but everyone else will suffer. On the one hand, we say we need to support teams like West Indies, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, while on the other, by bringing up something like this, we will cut their legs.”
The irony of the BCCI standing up for the poorer countries will not be lost on many. With the help of England and Australia they forced through structural changes at the ICC which led to more power being handed to the ‘Big Three’.
Thakur also reaffirmed the BCCI’s opposition to the use of HawkEye. India are willing to accept Hot Spot and Real Time Snicko but remain unconvinced by the ball-tracking technology.