SYDNEY: A symposium organized by the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) on Sunday made several suggestions regarding the future of cricket formats, highlighting the dominance of T20 cricket in gaining new audiences around the world while expressing concern over the declining popularity of Test cricket outside India, England and Australia.
Former Indian player and coach Ravi Shastri has advocated keeping Test cricket competitive by restricting participation to stronger teams.
“When you don’t have quality, that’s when the ratings go down, the crowd is less, it’s meaningless cricket, which is the last thing the sport wants,” Shastri said at World Cricket Connects, an event at Lord’s hosted by the MCC.
“You have 12 test teams. Cut it down to six or seven and introduce a system of promotion and relegation.
“You can have two tiers but keep the top six playing to keep the interest in Test cricket.
“You can spread the game in other formats like T20,” he added.
Proposals included reducing the number of Test nations from twelve to six or seven and introducing a two-tier system of promotion and relegation to maintain interest in Test cricket. Shastri also highlighted the role of T20 cricket in expanding the reach of the sport.
Justin Langer, former Australian batsman and coach, acknowledged the appeal of T20 leagues but stressed the importance of retaining international cricket for its impact on youth, citing recent series such as West Indies’ thrilling debut in Australia and India’s World Cup victory celebrations drawing huge crowds . .
“She captivated Australia and brought the Caribbean to life,” Langer said.
“We saw a million people last week to see India celebrated for winning the World Cup.”
“That’s bilateral cricket and international cricket.
MCC president Mark Nicholas confirmed the discussions had not undermined the importance of Test cricket. Nevertheless, he underlined the need for financial sustainability in cricket and recognized T20 cricket as a significant source of revenue critical to the future growth and stability of the sport.
“T20 cricket is the monster that everybody wants,” he said.
“It’s where the new market is, where the fans are and where the money is.
“In cricket, money is considered a dirty word, but it shouldn’t be because it’s the only way to keep the game going.”
