The Inaugural World Test Championship

[Black_Warrior]

Schedule for inaugural World Test Championship announced

Cricket chiefs look forward to long-awaited championship that provides context to bilateral five-day cricket.
The tournament will begin soon after the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, with the Ashes in England set to kickstart the event. “Together with other member countries we are confident that this will grow interest in the international game – and our team is very much looking forward to launching the World Test Championship with our 2019 Ashes series in England,” said James Sutherland, the Cricket Australia Chief Executive.

Even as the Ashes mark the tournament’s launch, the Windies are set to tour India, and New Zealand host Sri Lanka, both in July, making for a hectic start to the new tournament.

The final league game will be played in April 2021, with the Windies set to travel to Sri Lanka for a two-Test series.

The ICC has for long attempted to add context to bilateral cricket, and David Richardson, the chief executive, said the creation of the championship – along with a 13-team one-day international league that will act as a qualification pathway to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 – will do just that.The men’s Future Tours Programme released by the International Cricket Council on Wednesday 20 June has provided the details on the inaugural ICC World Test Championship.

The tournament, instated with the aim of bringing more context to bilateral Test cricket, will be played from July 15 2019 to April 30 2021.

The nine top-ranked sides in the world will compete in the tournament, with each side playing six series on a home-and-away basis against mutually selected opponents in the two-year cycle.

The top two sides will then contest in the ICC World Test Championship final in June 2021.

“The agreement of this FTP means we have clarity, certainty, and most importantly context around bilateral cricket over the next five years,” he said. “The World Test Championship will get underway next year with the ODI league kicking off in 2020 as part of the qualification towards the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023.

“Bringing context to bilateral cricket is not a new challenge, but with the release of this FTP, our Members have found a genuine solution that gives fans around the world the chance to engage regularly with international cricket that has meaning and the possibility of a global title at the end.”

The World Test Championship was lauded by the heads of ICC member countries.

Tom Harrison, the Chief Executive of the England and Wales Cricket Board, called it a step in the right direction. “As strong supporters of Test cricket, we particularly welcome the creation of the new World Test Championship,” he said. “It is a big step in the right direction and will help ensure Test cricket is more sustainable and competitive in the long-term – and help secure its unique place at the pinnacle of our international game.”

Cricket South Africa Chief Executive Thabang Moroe said it was “a win-win situation for all” and David White, the New Zealand Cricket boss, said: “By bringing more relevance and context into international cricket we can farewell what used to be known as neutral games, and introduce interest into every fixture, no matter which side is playing.”

 

[Black_Warrior]

Men's Future Tour Programme 2018-2023 released

The FTP will provide clarity certainty around all bilateral international fixtures and incorporates all three formats of the game.
The International Cricket Council, on behalf of its Members, today released the men’s Future Tours Programme (FTP) from 2018-2023. The FTP, which is available here, provides clarity and certainty around all bilateral international fixtures and incorporates all three formats of the game.

The result of a significant collective effort from the Members, with the support of the ICC, the FTP focuses on bringing more context to bilateral cricket. A World Test Championship has been created along with a 13-team men’s ODI league that will act as a qualification pathway for the ICC Cricket World Cup.

Nine top-ranked sides will participate in the inaugural edition of the World Test Championship, which will run from 15 July 2019 to 30 April 2021. The sides will play six series in the two-year cycle on a home and away basis against opponents they have mutually selected. The two top-ranked sides will then progress to the June 2021 final to decide the World Test champions.

In addition, the 12 Test playing nations and the Netherlands, will participate in the 13-team ODI League, which will run from 1 May 2020 to 31 March 2022 and all the sides will play eight series over a two-year cycle on a home and away basis against mutually agreed opponents.

This league will serve as a qualification pathway for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023. India (as host) plus the seven highest-ranked sides in the ODI league as on 31 March 2022 will qualify directly for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, while the bottom five sides will get a second chance to qualify through the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier.

The principles followed by Members in the creation of this men’s FTP are as follows:

Scheduling the appropriate amount of cricket in each format (home and away) for each Member;

With matches scheduled at the preferred time of year in each territory;

Inclusion of existing series that have already been committed to commercial partners (mainly in 2019-20);

Providing optimum preparation for ICC Events by playing the same format immediately before the tournament;

sufficient time for Members to schedule their preferred bilateral content outside of World Test Championship and ODI league;

periods when individual Boards want to allow their national team players to be available to compete in domestic T20 leagues.

ICC Chief Executive David Richardson congratulated the Members for their efforts in the preparation of the men’s Future Tours Programme:

“The agreement of this FTP means we have clarity, certainty and most importantly context around bilateral cricket over the next five years. The World Test Championship will get underway next year with the ODI league kicking off in 2020 as part of the qualification towards the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023.

“Bringing context to bilateral cricket is not a new challenge, but with the release of this FTP, our Members have found a genuine solution that gives fans around the world the chance to engage regularly with international cricket that has meaning and the possibility of a global title at the end.”

The structure of the men’s FTP (2018-23) includes:

ICC Cricket World Cup – 2019 and 2023
ICC World T20 – 2020 and 2021
World Test Championship
Cycle 1 – 2019-2021 (final 2021)
Cycle 2 – 2021-2023 (final 2023)
All bilateral Tests, ODIs and T20Is outside of the above competitions

 

[Bolo]

They've used the phrase context to bilateral cricket about 5 times in this little article. Repeating it doesn't make it true. Anyone who thinks a test series isn't context in its own right deserves a punch in the nuts.

This fact notwithstanding, the phrase, like the championship is a bit of a marketing gimmick. Tough to complain about marketing tests, even if the way it's being done leaves something to be desired.

 

[TheJediBrah]

So if I'm reading it correctly it only goes over 2 years? So each team won't play each other home and away? Doesn't seem quite fair. But I guess it would just make up for it next time

 

[OverratedSanity]

So if I'm reading it correctly it only goes over 2 years? So each team won't play each other home and away? Doesn't seem quite fair. But I guess it would just make up for it next time

Yeah if everyone doesn't play everyone else I don't even know how this will make sense. It's always been my biggest problem with the idea.

 

[harsh.ag]

Good. Well done, in fact. Earning some of their salaries.

 

[harsh.ag]

Yeah if everyone doesn't play everyone else I don't even know how this will make sense. It's always been my biggest problem with the idea.

But better than the current situation. Let's not kill good for the sake of perfect.

 

[trundler]

Could be better, could be far worse. I'll take it with the hope that it saves test cricket some more dying.

 

[S.Kennedy]

Bah.

At least it is easy to just ignore like Strauss's superseries thing.

 

[Black_Warrior]

They've used the phrase context to bilateral cricket about 5 times in this little article. Repeating it doesn't make it true. Anyone who thinks a test series isn't context in its own right deserves a punch in the nuts.

This fact notwithstanding, the phrase, like the championship is a bit of a marketing gimmick. Tough to complain about marketing tests, even if the way it's being done leaves something to be desired.

This is essentially the strongest feedback from Broadcasters - context and it's merely a reflection of the market and the larger audience. Look at how social media suddenly lights up during the World Cup or World T20. Why? Because every casual fan suddenly starts caring about the sport and following it. Same fans don't quite give a **** when a bilateral Test series takes place. A great example is the recently concluded South Africa-Australia series which was in my view one of the best Test series in terms of quality in recent times. Until the ball tampering scandal, hardly anyone outside of loyal Test cricket fans were even aware or following that series.

Broadcasters know this and if ICC and the Member boards want broadcaster attention for Test series, they will have to take this into account. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. A World Test Championship does add an extra level of brand value and excitement and it's always great to be excited about who's going to win a tournament.

Problem is that the current Cricket scheduling which is based on the Big 3 power structure heavily favours the Bigger teams at the expense of the rest of the teams. For example Bangladesh don't even have a single series against England in this period. Not one. This heavily dents Bangladesh's chances of qualifying for the Final because points you gain from playing West Indies and Sri Lanka are not going to get you there.

India have England and South Africa at home in the 2 year period which heavily favours India's chances of making the finals.

 

[Bolo]

I doubt it will make any difference to countries like Lanka and WI where the fans are really needed. They are going to be losing anyway, and I don't see how it will help.

It probably comes down to India, which is the only country with money in which test fandom really needs a boost. If India starts to suck overnight, I'm not sure the system will be doing much from the ICCs perspective.

 

[vcs]

But better than the current situation. Let's not kill good for the sake of perfect.

But the final will feel farcical if fans feel that both teams did not face a comparable set of challenges to make it there.

 

[Borges]

It probably comes down to India, which is the only country with money in which test fandom really needs a boost.

With the current format, they are not going to get much of a boost from India.
If India-Pakistan series were involved, it would have been a completely different story.

 

[harsh.ag]

But the final will feel farcical if fans feel that both teams did not face a comparable set of challenges to make it there.

On CW, sure. Not for the fans they want to bring back to test cricket.

Plus, in a way it also incentivizes teams to become better suited for different conditions. Obviously this doesn't work in the short term but perhaps in the long run it might become an important part of how teams train and coaching philosophy.

 

[Borges]

One good thing that may come out of this is that it will hopefully make the "away is important, home is unimportant" crowd shut up for good. Hopefully.
Big blow to the statistics sites; most of their traffic must be coming from the CricketWeb crowd.

 

[Bolo]

With the current format, they are not going to get much of a boost from India.
If India-Pakistan series were involved, it would have been a completely different story.

If you see India fighting it out for a top 2 berth towards the end, I think there will be a boost in interest. Plus the finals themselves, which I'm guessing they make, at least this cycle.

India-pak really need to sort their issues out and play. And it's not just about the cricket. Contact between countries helps normalise relations.

One good thing that may come out of this is that it will hopefully make the "away is important, home is unimportant" crowd shut up for good. Hopefully.
Big blow to the statistics sites; most of their traffic must be coming from the CricketWeb crowd.

Na, with cycles only having a home away disparity, it will make these statements even stronger. Scheduling is going to determine finalists in some iterations if the format stays the same.

 

[91Jmay]

Must admit struggling to see this landing. Big series win away in India or winning Ashes vs winning a Championship that means you can luckily dodge the best team and "win" it?

I hope I am wrong and it adds context + revitalisies Tests but I am skeptical at the moment. They do need to try something so hopefully it is a first iteration and have to give them credit for that.

 

[Borges]

I think that the animus that existed among the fans of either country has more or less disappeared with a much younger crowd being dominant now.
But the interest in the biggest sporting rivalry in cricket (one for the largest body of cricket fans in the world) is still very high.

 

[Bolo]

I think that the animus that existed among the fans of either country has more or less disappeared with a much younger crowd being dominant now.
But the interest in the biggest sporting rivalry in cricket (one for the largest body of cricket fans in the world) is still very high.

I'm thinking beyond the cricket fan here. It's two countries involved in a nuclear arms race. Good to normalise relations in any way possible

On the cricket itself, nixing the biggest rivalry is an outright sin.

 

[Daemon]

Can't wait for Australia to find a new excuse to pull out of a Bangladesh tour with championship points on the line