The Test cricketer, Mominul Haque from Bangladesh, is against the ”frustrating” idea of splitting Test cricket into two tiers, which, according to him, would lessen the worth of the oldest format of the sport and encourage more people to flock to ODIs and T20s.
According to a newspaper report by The Age, the ICC is considering this two-tier idea so that the big three – India, England, and Australia – would compete more often. The three revenue-generating countries in sports will then enjoy playing each other twice in three years and leave less space for Bangladesh.
“It’s frustrating for me,” Haque, usually considered a Test specialist, told Cricbuzz on Tuesday. “To be honest, I am not considering 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.”
“Test matches will be lesser and it is too off-putting for Test players and I don’t think it is going to be so healthy for us. To be honest, if we don’t play against good teams, our game will not improve, and you will just be stagnant by playing yourselves and not against any bigger and tougher opposition,” he further added.
“To have a good match with a good team, you will look for improvement so that you can play at par with them and understand the level where you want to take your Test cricket; you understand all these things. This kind of scenario will also lower the value of Test cricket because the Tests reduce and because it gets lesser and lesser value the player goes towards white-ball cricket,” he said.
It is not the first time that the ICC is contemplating such a move. Over the years, many former cricketers and pundits have suggested a tier-based system with demotions and promotions to ensure that as many Tests are as possible. Such creative thoughts, however, were mostly rejected soon with the explanation that it might compromise revenue of the smaller cricketing nations.
The same arguments would probably be on the table before any potential change happens after the next World Test Championship cycle, which comes to an end in 2027.
