Test Championship and FTP

[silentstriker]

I know it is being discussed, and I am wondering who is for it. I think it's a great idea, along with other changes to the FTP. It doesn't make sense to play a country in four test matches, then play them again in three months for four more.

They all need to be on a cycle like the Ashes, home and away every x years, it creates excitement, and allows you to build up to the next series.

It seems India and England are against the Test championship, and for good reason - the proposal by Australia has the TV revenues being equally shared, which doesn't make any sense for India or England - the two biggest markets. Other than that, I think the proposal is fantastic.

 

[Anil]

what is ftp? the only ftp i know is file transfer protocol...

 

[completeNZer]

future tours programme

 

[GIMH]

I'm for it, rankings don't do it for me, I want a proper championship

 

[Anil]

future tours programme

ah...thanks!

 

[silentstriker]

the only ftp i know is file transfer protocol...

Spot the Indian.

 

[cricman]

I'd love to see a Champions League style Home and Away even based on the Rankings in which the final would be played on predetermined location

 

[Magrat Garlick]

If it's based on rankings, I'm not for it, and I really don't see how it could be done otherwise. It would inevitably be out of season (as neither England, Australia nor India can risk losing any of their home Tests during their domestic season), and you might not get the best two teams anyway, resulting in a severe threat of a damp squib of a mismatch.

Better to have the FTP occasionally throw up a 1 v 2 (or 3) series in peak interest times for cricket in a country, which causes the media and the world to recognise it as such, like we've had with the Aussie series this year and we'll have when SA go to India in 2010.

If you'd want a maverick idea, my best effort would be a FIFA-style public draw of the fixtures, perhaps six or eight months in advance, with tours from the last two years taken out of the draw, instead of having them subject to haggling among the boards.

 

[Richard]

I think the current Test Championship (which isn't a championship and is merely a ratings system) is a waste of time. However, Test cricket has been for at the very least 80 years (since the 1930s) organised the way it is currently, even if the FTP where it's fixed that certain teams must play certain other teams within certain dates is only a very recent phenomena. I don't like the idea of a Test competition which starts and finishes at a finite date and am quite happy with a rolling Championship. All it needs is a nice, simple system, which we had briefly in 2002: two points for a series win, one for a draw, none for a defeat, count only the most recent home and most recent away series between two teams.

Yes, that does lead to some series' which are as good as irrelevant to current events (eg, Sri Lanka vs New Zealand in 2002/03) still being counted. But this is inevitable. Test cricket by nature is cyclical and you're never going to get away from that.

I'm not a fan of the way the FTP has worked-out, ideally all series' would be evenly spaced. That, however, is the ideal - it's just that, unfortunately, it hasn't always worked-out as planned due to the overcrowded nature and the inclusion of international Twenty20, Bangladesh and too many ODIs.

Australia vs South Africa is the exception here and I do like to see them play six Tests, three in each country, in the same season as that's always been the way since readmission. Feels weird to see England and West Indies, and England and New Zealand, doing it though.

 

[slugger]

the ftp is rubbish.. the thing has taken like for ever.. and still wont be fully completed to 2012 and what did it prove that only the concept (method) is flawed ie when countries have political or dangerous situations.. ie Sri Lanka Pakistan or Zimbabwe it puts a a halt to its progress and shape.. .. im all for a champions type comp.. but this in itself has to be fair and just.. i think if they want to keep Test cricket alive it has to have real goal .. for countries to aim for not no lame ranking system that no one really understands.. you have to create a comp that normal joe public gonna understand ... and instantly see how their or what their team needs to be win... just like wc in any sports there is pools there is quarters there is simis there is finals.....

 

[Richard]

Have you ever made a post that doesn't contain about 10 ...s? Sentences are generally helpful.

 

[slugger]

no...........

 

[Mister Wright]

Have your rankings for 4 years. Then have 1 v 4 and 2 v 3 and then the winners play off against each other.

 

[Indipper]

Eight teams, one host, straightforward knockout, no Bangladesh. Everybody wins.

 

[roseboy64]

Even if Bangladesh are in the 8? Harsh.

 

[Indipper]

Wouldn't put a team with 0 Test wins in a tournament to decide the best Test nation. And eight is such a fine knockey-outey number. But if you think it's for the best, Bangladesh can play whoever is also really not good in the qualifiers.

 

[roseboy64]

Missing the point you are. Read what we both posted again.

 

[Mister Wright]

8 is a god number though. You could have 1v8, 2v7, 3v6, 4v5 in a one test playoff for the semi finals. Have a 3 test series in the semis and a timeless test for the final.

 

[slugger]

all fine and dandy if there is no draws.

seeded pools is the way to with 2 match series h/w. the winners of each pool play a 3 match series h/w the winners make the final which is a 5 match series pointts from each round robin pass on the team with the most points host the final.
points: 1 for a match win. 3 for a series win (lose points for match win) no points for draw.
probably a 3 year cycle. maybe less. if organised effeciently.

pool 1
Aust.
Sri Lanka
WI

pool 2
India
England
NZ

pool 3
RSA
Pakinstan
Bang

 

[Mister Wright]

all fine and dandy if there is no draws.

If there's a draw or drawn series the top ranked team goes through. Need to give some kind of benefit for being a higher ranked team over 4 years.