ICC proposes minimum three-Test series, more Day/Night red-ball games
In sa bid to make Test and ODI cricket more appealing, the International Cricket Council (ICC) is mulling major changes. Among the major proposals is to make it mandatory to have a minimum of three Tests in every series that falls under the World Test Championship (WTC). The proposal was made during the ICC's recent meetings in Dubai.
ICC's push for more day-night Tests
The ICC is also pushing host nations to organize more Day/Night Test matches in the next cycle. The idea is to draw bigger crowds to the stadiums and increase interest in the longest format. However, despite their initial popularity, pink-ball Tests have become a rare sight in recent years.
Concerns over two-Test series and viewership
The ICC has been unhappy with countries which play less than three Tests in a series. They feel this has impacted viewership and led to a dip in interest for the traditional format. "Some countries like South Africa, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka mostly play just two Test series," an ICC source told TOI.
ICC's cricket committee and its members
The ICC cricket committee, headed by former India captain Sourav Ganguly, features ex-players such as Mahela Jayawardena, VVS Laxman, Shaun Pollock, Daniel Vettori and Roger Harper. BCCI secretary, Jay Shah, who is set to assume his role as the ICC chairman, is also a member of this committee. "The ICC committee feels the pink-ball Tests have brought more people into the stadiums," an insider told TOI.
Proposed changes to ODI cricket
Apart from Test cricket, the ICC is also looking to make changes in ODI matches. They feel that using two balls in ODIs puts bowlers at a disadvantage as these balls remain hard during the death overs, favoring the big hitters. To tackle this, a new rule may be introduced where two balls can be used only within the first 25 overs.
