Zimbabwe test series off!, what now?

[zul-aid]

Well Australia look like they are on their way home after just a little while ago the 2 test series are called off

As many experts and commentators in cricket have stated the cricket would should be divided into two groups one for the elite and one for minnows.

I believe that "black" players should be placed into the side to replace the minority whites to increase the popularity in the game.
I have been a fan of cricket and especially Zimbabwean cricket for a long time, i even lived in Harare for a little while.
Players like Streak, the Strangs, the Whittles, the Flowers, Campbell, Johnson, Goodwin and even the new bread like Ervine (now join Goodwin and playing for the Warriors turning his back on his country for the sake of his family)

So should test cricket be divided, I think so its long overdue
this 10 year test championship is a stupid idea to play tests over a decade to decide the champion of the world is too long.

Have the top 8 which is (not in order ofcourse) Australia, England, New Zealand, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, West Indies, South Africa

and have a minnows group consisting of 10 teams: Canada, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh, UAE, Kenya, Namibia, Ireland, Scotland, Holland, Wales

Each group plays over four years possibly dividing the group again into two and then having the final of the top teams in each group (so it may never be 1st vs 2nd in the world but atleast it will be good games played)

So lets say they announce the teams in the groups at Lords
Group A
Australia
India
New Zealand
West Indies

Group B
South Africa
Pakistan
Sri Lanka
England

Ofcourse they play home and away tests (say 3 test series)

Same with the minnows they will also be a final for the bottom teams of the groups to see who gets relegated so if the finals where played tomorrow (if tomorrow was 2008): Australia would probably play South Africa for the championship and Sri Lanka would play West Indies.

Top minnow side would join the elite in the next championship (2008) years after their finals have been played which would probably be Bangladesh.

what do you guys think????

The old debate of experience for Bangladesh would be brought up but if West Indies get relegated wouldnt that bring experience for the other countries???

 

[manutd4eva]

Windies would never get relegated.

I'm all for the two tier structure though. The game is becoming too one sided.

Darn Aussies.

 

[man united forever]

I'm all for the two-tier system and a shorter time period for the Test Championship, but I can't help feeling a bit wary of that 2-group system in the top tier you mentioned. If the groups are structured that way, we wouldn't see an Ashes series for a fair while, nor would we see other rivalries such as India-Pakistan(granted political tensions have led to us not playing each other very often), New Zealand-South Africa, Australia-South Africa, etc.

To play Tests against only 3 countries over the course of 4 years seems to be a bit boring tbh. I'd rather have the 8 Test playing nations play each other over a period of 6-8 years home and away and then decide promotion and relegation. The minnow Test countries need time to develop their players and infrastructure so really a longer championship might help them. The only problem is that 8 years is a long time and some fine players have had shorter careers, but it's probably in the best interests of cricket if it was so.

Another point about your idea - I personally don't think teams like Canada or the UAE should be included in the second tier. From what I gather, far too great a proportion of their teams consist of immigrant players. There isn't enough cricket being played in those countries by the locals to merit a place among the Test minnows. Then again, perhaps the regular competition might arouse interest in the game. I'm confused now.

 

[zul-aid]

They (ICC) need to spread the game to other countries

the way they are including new test sides have failed (with the exception of Sri Lanka) Bangladesh and Zimbabwe have failed to win any credibility (and even with a healthy side like Zimbabwe).

Bangladesh is too hard a demographic to lose. UAE have the best ground in the world so they should be included. Canada made it into the world cup and deserve to be included in the second tier
Also i was thinking today maybe have 'A' sides in the second tier as well to bring experience to the minnows so they play up and coming tendulkars when they are 19-18 years old and can predict how they play when they are older to have an edge.

Yes my plan has its faults but 10 years is way to long for a championship.

Test series should be 3 tests - not 5 (with exception of the Ashes i guess)

Anyway the test championship could be 2 and half years, because if since Australia usually has two test series and NZ is close to Aus, much like Pak is to SL it would be easier for countries to "kill two birds with one stone" - to play 2 series in 1 tour.

ofcourse it would be hard but remember how close countries are playing already last year Zimbabwe and West Indies appear in over 3 one day series together

 

[man united forever]

From cricinfo:

Three-tier system for Test cricket?

Wisden Cricinfo staff

May 28, 2004



With so many leading cricketers clamouring for a two-tier format for Test cricket, the International Cricket Council may finally put such a system in place. According to a report in SuperSport, a South African sports website, Dave Richardson, the ICC's general manager, is currently presiding over discussions on a proposal to restrict Test cricket to eight teams, while the next two rungs would consist of 12 teams, split into two divisions of six each.

Teams in the elite group would be required to play each other in home and away series – comprising of two or three Tests each – which would ensure that a full round of Test series takes not more than three years instead of the current five, with every team playing 14 Tests a year.

The report also says that the second-division matches would be four-day games, played on a home-and-away basis. The winner of the second division would then take on the team which finished last in the elite group in a one-off Test. Victory in that match would promote the second-division winner into the elite group. So, as per current standings in the ICC Test Championship table, West Indies will be battling Zimbabwe or Bangladesh to avoid relegation.

For teams not good enough to make it to the top 14 but still harbouring hopes of climbing the rungs, there is also a proposal to include a third tier as well. As with the second division, the team topping the third tier will also get an opportunity to move up the ladder with a play-off against the wooden spooners of the second division.

An ICC spokesman said: "Malcolm Speed [the ICC's chief executive] announced a review of the structure of international cricket in June 2003. This review is on-going and will not be completed for several months. Until it has been completed it is impossible to speculate what the outcomes or recommendations will be."

The need to separate the top teams from the rest has been felt especially strongly of late, with Zimbabwe weakened considerably by the absence of 15 of their best players and Bangladesh struggling to make an impression.

 

[celtic_bhoy]

good reads in this thread
im not to keen on the three tie system the ICC is looking at and the two tier one mentioned buy zul-aid looks okay, but i dunno, i believe something needs to be done and soon but i have no idea as what i would do, it seems crickets reputation is going backwards fast with the zimbabwe situation.

 

[zul-aid]

Well i dont mind the third-tier

Second Division

1)Zimbabwe
2)Bangladesh
3)Kenya
4)Scotland
5)Holland
6)Scotland
7)Canada
8)Ireland
9)UAE
10)Namibia
11)USA
12)Malaysia

I think that would be it.

 

[manutd4eva]

Two would be enough for me, if there is three, West Indies would probably end up in the second tier.

 

[King]

group 1 is unfare. india, australia, new zealand, west indies. it should be like this india, srilanka, england, australia
group2- pakistan, south africa, west indies, new zeland
all this teams can be compare to each other in same group.

 

[zul-aid]

Originally posted by king
group 1 is unfare. india, australia, new zealand, west indies. it should be like this india, srilanka, england, australia
group2- pakistan, south africa, west indies, new zeland
all this teams can be compare to each other in same group.

The groups should be random, not equal for anyone, not benefiting any team.

Names get drawn out a hat concept like CL/UEFA Cup.

Because as it was said before we would lose great battles between great teams.

We only need 8 teams with international status

and their should be relegation - to improve the second division like Leeds and West Ham have done in soccer - West Indies will do the same thing.

 

[man united forever]

Yeah one team should be automatically relegated and then the 7th-placed Div 1 team should play the second-placed Div 2 team. I kind of like the ICC's idea of playing the championship over 6 years and having 2 tiers in the lower rungs of the competition as opposed to the upper division.

 

[King]

it doesnt matter because everyone know who is going to win, i dont need to say?

 

[zul-aid]

Check results in West Indies recently?

Match Drawn, but Bangladesh would have got first innings points.

 

[manutd4eva]

Originally posted by zul-aid
Check results in West Indies recently?

Match Drawn, but Bangladesh would have got first innings points.

We suck.

Bangladesh.

I'll still be at the next test match tomorrow though.

 

[man united forever]

Lara's not really helping matters by threatening to quit if the Windies lose, though I think he'll be sacked if that happens anyway.

 

[manutd4eva]

Lara's just saying that because he knows Bangladesh will be whipped.

He's a crap captain though.

 

[jamiew]

Who cares!!!???? Cricket boringgggggggggggggg!!!! anyway.

 

[leungtl]

Grow up, or post something constructive

If agree with this random out of hat drawing thing. Otherwise Bangladesh and the Windies would keep getting promoted/relegated every tournament

 

[man united forever]

Bangladesh 264/9 at stumps on the first day.

 

[manutd4eva]

Once again we had them down and allowed them to slip away. They were 90+ for 5 and then 140+ for 6 and we let them reach this far. It just shows why we are 8th in the rankings.

Looking forward to His Excellency scoring a big hundred tomorrow though.

Also, for once Brian looked like a captain.