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Kirsten: Test game must adapt
15/05/2008 15:37 - (SA)
Cape Town - Test cricket needs a radical overhaul to ensure its continued existence in the face of the Twenty20 revolution, India coach Gary Kirsten said.
Kirsten suggested in an article on his personal website
that there should be a one-year cycle of Test matches with an
annual champion.
"I believe the time is right to create a world league system for Test cricket. The game needs to have a world champion every year," the former South African opening batsman said on garykirsten.com.
"It's what keeps people interested, involved and engaged.
"The idea of an annual Test championship comprising one-off Test matches between the nine or 10 Test-playing nations, I believe would create global interest.
"Four home games one year, five the next. It would mean
every Test playing nation would play nine or 10 Tests per year
which would count towards the championship," he said.
'Iconic series'
Such a championship would not, however, mean an end to all
series, particularly those with long histories and strong
followings.
"Iconic series like the Ashes or India against Pakistan
could still be included in the programme, as playing up to 14 or
15 Test matches in the year would still fit into the world
cricket schedule," Kirsten said.
"Crucial to the success of such a departure would be the
introduction of a bonus points system so that every game has a
meaning and a purpose," he said.
"The top Test nations may expect to beat Bangladesh and
Zimbabwe every time but the onus would be even greater, and
bonus points would make things even more interesting.
"In today's world of travel, it is easy to get around the world for a Test match, so logistics needn't be a problem."
A recent meeting of the ICC's Cricket Committee, chaired by Indian great Sunil Gavaskar, discussed the future of Test
cricket and, according to South Africa coach Mickey Arthur,
significant changes were discussed although nothing as radical
as Kirsten's proposal.
"Everybody on the committee agreed that test cricket was the ultimate form of the game and needed to be looked after," Arthur said on Thursday.
"Our proposal was for a three-year Test championship
culminating in a final between the top two teams after which
everybody starts again from scratch," Arthur said.
"This will give Test cricket more relevance and immediacy
and get rid of the perception that some series are meaningless
and that there is never a conclusion to the test championship."
The current ICC Future Tours Programme works on a five-year
cycle but points are always carried forward and teams never
start again from zero once a champion is declared.
- Reuters
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