A two-tier system in Test cricket looks like will soon be a reality after recent reports emerged that a mega meeting over the radical plan will soon take place under the aegis of the International Cricket Council (ICC) chair Jay Shah. A two-tier system to the World Test Championship (WTC) will essentially mimic the footballing structure followed in most countries where there will be a top division for a few teams followed by a second division for the remaining sides.

Although there is no clarity at present, an ideal two-tier system for the World Test Championship (WTC) would include relegation and promotion.

What is the two-tier system in Test cricket?

In such a structure, the team or teams finishing at the bottom of the top division at the end of a WTC cycle would be relegated to the second tier. Meanwhile, the team or teams topping the second division would earn promotion to the top tier, creating a competitive and dynamic framework.

As per the new reports doing the rounds, India, Australia, England, South Africa, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and New Zealand could be part of tier one, while West Indies, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Ireland, and Zimbabwe will be put in the second tier.

It has also been reported that the two-tier Test system will be introduced after the current Future Tours Programme ends in 2027.

While the possible bifurcation of the Test structure was already in the news, it started to look a reality after The Melbourne Age reported on 6 January that ICC’s Jay Shah will meet Cricket Australia’s head Mike Baird and England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chief Richard Thompson later this month to discuss the two-tiers of the World Test Championship.

Why is a two-tier Test system needed?

It’s essentially due to the financial pressure that national boards are facing. With T20 and specifically franchise cricket slowly becoming the dominant force, the national cricket boards need healthy revenue to keep a grip on their players who are being offered multi-year deals from private leagues.

Recently, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) was also forced to offer
multi-year deals to their top players for the first time so that they don’t stop playing international cricket. However, to do so, the ECB needs to generate the required revenue. Unlike BCCI which made Rs 20,686 crore in the 2023-24 financial year, other boards like ECB or Cricket Australia make around Rs 500 crore annually and this number drops significantly
as we talk about the so-called smaller teams.

In such a scenario, for England and Australia, it makes a lot of sense if they are part of the top tier and have an opportunity to play against India more often than not. In a two-tier system, an Ashes or the Border-Gavaskar Trophy can be held twice every three years as compared to twice every four years under the current format.

Former England captain Vaughan is one of the most prominent names backing the two-tier Test system. He recently said that a two-tier system will keep Test cricket relevant and help avoiding mismatches.

“I have been saying for a long time this is the way to keep Test cricket relevant by ensuring the best play the best as often as possible, and we get fewer mismatches,” Vaughan wrote in his column for The Telegraph UK.

“I want to give fans, whether watching in the ground or on TV, what they want. After a pretty drab couple of summers in Australia and the same in England last summer, the viewing figures and attendances were through the roof during the past few weeks.”

Former India all-rounder and coach, Ravi Shastri, while writing for The Australian, said that a two-tier system is necessary to keep Test cricket in a healthy state.

“When the best teams play, the toughest and best format of the game is still alive and thriving,” Shastri wrote in his column. “It was also a sound reminder to the ICC that the best should play the best for Test cricket to survive.

“I will say that there’s too much of a clutter otherwise.”

To support the case made by Vaughan and Shastri, one can refer to the record number of people who made their way to the stands to watch the Test matches between India and Australia recently. The five-Test India vs Australia series was attended by 837,879 spectators, making it the fourth-highest attended series in Australian history. This is despite two Tests ending within three days. Also, an average of 41,894 people per day attended the India-Australia Test in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy which is the highest in Australian history

A two-tier Test system can badly impact smaller teams

While a two-tier Test system is expected to benefit the top teams in the top tier, it could harm the so-called smaller teams. Teams in the second division would face two significant challenges. Firstly, they would have limited or almost no opportunities to compete against the best teams, hindering their ability to improve. Secondly, they risk losing out on crucial media rights deals, which are vital for their financial stability.

Currently, most Test teams generate revenue from home matches when powerhouses like India, Australia, or England tour them. However, under a two-tier system, teams like the West Indies might lose the chance to host India, thereby diminishing the value of their home match media rights.

This kind of structure could eventually lead to a scenario where second-tier teams drastically reduce the number of Test matches they play, either at home or abroad, or, in the worst case, stop playing Test cricket altogether.

What is the criticism the two-tier Test system is facing?

It has been branded as a “greedy” exercise that will “sully the game” with criticism coming from some of the biggest names in the world of cricket. Clive Lloyd, West Indies’ two-time ODI World Cup-winning captain, feels a change in Test structure will be disastrous for smaller teams.

“I think it will be terrible for all those countries who work so hard to get to Test match status, and now they’ll be playing among themselves in the lower section,” Lloyd said recently.

Sri Lanka’s 1996 World Cup-winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga said that sports has to rise above economics and the spirit of the game has to be protected.

“I understand the economics. Such a move will certainly line the pockets of the three boards, but sport isn’t just about Pounds, Dollars, and Rupees. Administrators must nurture and protect the game, not just fatten their coffers,” Ranatunga told Telecom Asia Sport.

“To run cricket, you don’t necessarily have to be a former player, but you do need to understand the spirit of the game – its values and its rich history. Unfortunately, when corporates run the show, everything is reduced to numbers and bottom lines,” he added.

Bangladesh batter Mominul Haque was equally frustrated as he felt the progress of teams in the second tier would be curtailed due to a lack of opportunities against the best team.

“It’s frustrating for me,” Mominul was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz. “To be honest I am not making any team small but I am not sure what process will be followed in the lower tier. I am not sure whether we can progress to the first tier if we play well in the second tier.

“I think the number of Test matches will be lesser and it is very frustrating for the Test players and I don’t think it will be good for us. To be honest if we don’t play against good teams our game will not improve and you will remain at the same level if you are playing among yourselves and not against bigger and tougher opposition.

“When you play against a good team you will try to see how to better yourself just to compete against them and where you want to take your Test cricket you can understand all those things. The value of Test cricket will go down if this happens as there will be lesser Tests and as the value will get lesser the players will go for white ball cricket,” he added.

Former England fast bowler Steven Finn even went on to claim that greed is driving the cricket boards toward the idea of a two-tier system.

“I don’t like it, I don’t think it’s good for the game,” Finn told BBC Radio 5 Live. “I think it’s greedy – monetising something that is so pure like Test cricket feels like it is sullying the game. It just doesn’t sit right with me.”

It’s important to note that the ICC has not yet made a formal decision on the two-tier Test system, and the governing body is still to discuss the proposal. However, given the rise of franchise cricket and the proliferation of T20 leagues, the division of the Test structure appears inevitable.