ICC to introduce two-tier system in World Test Championship
What's the story
The International Cricket Council (ICC) is set to revamp the World Test Championship format, introducing a two-tier system ahead of India's tour of England.
The move is being spearheaded by ICC chairman Jay Shah and England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chairman Richard Thompson.
Meanwhile, the existing format will be discontinued after the championship final between Australia and South Africa, with the new structure likely to be introduced before India's England tour this year.
Here's more.
Objective
Aim of the new format
The main aim behind this change is to make the competition more balanced.
"The World Test Championship should be fairer and more competitive. It is going to change to ensure it always encourages the best teams to reach the final," Thompson told Telegraph Sport.
He further added how they have very little time to implement the change before India play England, "We have five months to work on this, step back and look at what the structure should be."
Flaws
Criticisms of the current World Test Championship format
The current World Test Championship format has been criticized for its inconsistencies.
In the two-year cycle, not all teams get to play against each other and several two-Test series have skewed rankings.
For instance, political reasons prevent India and Pakistan from competing, while South Africa reached the final without playing Australia.
These issues are seen as compromising the integrity of the competition.
Speaking about protecting the competition, Thompson stated, "We will protect, grow and ensure the integrity of Test cricket."
Changes
Consideration of 4-day Tests and reactions
The ICC is also mulling over the introduction of four-day Tests to allow boards to schedule three-Test series around franchise leagues.
However, this change wouldn't be applicable for tier-one matches or high-profile series like the Ashes.
The proposed two-tier system has been resisted by cricket legends like West Indies's Clive Lloyd and Sri Lanka's Arjuna Ranatunga, who argue it could hurt smaller teams.
WTC table
A look at the latest WTC table after Australia's win
Australia with a 65.74 PCT, have solidified their second place in the 2023-25 World Test Championship (WTC) standings after a thumping win over Sri Lanka.
South Africa sit atop (PCT: 69.44).
India, whose WTC campaign ended with an away series defeat to Australia, are third (PCT of 50).
New Zealand, finished 4th (48.21 PCT). England are placed 5th (43.18 PCT).
They are followed by Sri Lanka (41.67 PCT), Bangladesh (31.25), West Indies (28.21 PCT) and Pakistan (27.98 PCT).