Int'l cricket "will finally have a Test world championship and a separate league for one-day cricket" after the game's governing body "ended years of false starts" by agreeing to a new structure from '19, according to Nick Hoult of the London TELEGRAPH. A nine-team Test championship played over two years including England will be played from '19, with a final at Lord’s in '21. The "finer details, such as fixtures and the points system, are still to be decided," but teams will play six series over a two-year period, with three at home and three away. The "top two finishers will contest the final as the old rankings system is dumped." The Int'l Cricket Council also gave the go-ahead for four-day Test matches, "although these will be played outside the championship, which will remain at five days." ICC Chair Shashank Manohar said, "Bringing context to bilateral cricket is not a new challenge, but this is the first time a genuine solution has been agreed on." A 13-team one-day league will start in '20 and "be used as qualification for the ICC Cricket World Cup" (TELEGRAPH, 10/13). NEWS.COM.AU reported the ICC "is concerned for the future of Test cricket with interest supposedly dwindling" amid the rise of the various Twenty20 leagues around the world. The "one word that often comes up when people debate Test cricket's longevity" in the 21st century is "context" -- referring to "the struggle to make global audiences care about often one-sided series between non-traditional rivals." This move "is a bid to address that, with every Test played over the two-year period counting towards the race for the overall title." ICC CEO Dave Richardson said, "Whether we can resurrect the interest in countries where the interest in Test cricket has fallen away is what we're trying to hopefully achieve" (NEWS.COM.AU, 10/13).
THE RIGHT DIRECTION: The PTI reported New Zealand captain Kane Williamson on Sunday "hailed the decision" of the ICC to introduce a Test League, terming it a "positive step." Asked about the ICC's decision at a media conference, Williamson said, "It's really a positive step forward to have to a championship to give Test cricket a little more meaning and it's great for the viewer as well. When we do start that, there will be a lot more clarity around rankings. The viewer can see where teams are progressing and what each game stands for" (PTI, 10/15). The PTI also reported the first-ever four-day Test, to be played between South Africa and Zimbabwe, will be played with the pink ball and under lights. However, the experiment "has attracted criticism from the likes of South African captain Faf du Plessis." He recently said that he "remains a fan of five-day games." Du Plessis said earlier in October, "I am a fan of five-day Test cricket. I believe the great Test matches have gone to the last hour of the last day on day five. That's what is so special about Test cricket. In four-day cricket or first-class cricket, it does feel easier because there are only four days" (PTI, 10/13).
