Hockley and 3 Test Series

[The Passenger]

It might actually bring relevance back to ODI's and if we were being honest one of the things that drive T20 to the forefront is people getting bored of endless contextless bilateral ODI series.

How the masses haven't noticed the same blandness kicking into T20 franchise competitions is beyond me, and maybe that will happen over the next decade or so... But as it stands right now that certainly isn't the case.

T20 franchise cricket is where ODI's were in the mid 90's. Fast forward ten years...

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

The number of tests shouldn't matter. Should be 1.0 available for tests against England

If you play 10 tests against England during the time frame and win 6 of them you get 0.6.

And 1.0 available against every team. Only parameter that it needs to be an equal number of home and away.

If you play Afghanistan twice during the time frame for one win you get 0.5

 

[PhatBoy]

Also I'd prefer to have full three test series and see teams play each other less often, rather than try and squeeze in more variety of opposition into the time frame but only playing two test series.

I'd still keep the big three playing each other every two years (alternating venues) but they must be willing to continue to revenue argue, and arguably they need to allow a bigger slice of revenue to the other nations.

This would mean we'd only play nations NZ or SA probably every 3-4 years, but in a heavily compromised cricketing world it feels like the best scenario.

ODI's would also get heavily squeezed here but if something has gotta give they're the ones I'd rather sacrifice (they would t be gone completely). It might actually bring relevance back to ODI's and if we were being honest one of the things that drive T20 to the forefront is people getting bored of endless contextless bilateral ODI series.

The system used to see Australia play those two nations (in Australia) every four years, three tests each, in the same summer. We would usually follow each of those series with a tour to SA. The reciprocal series to NZ have never been as regular but that system with their tours here was great.

I don’t see a real problem with an exception being made for the Ashes. Much as it bores me as a neutral, I’m also a cricket lover so I’m happy for that to stay as one reciprocal regular five match series that stays on the Australian and England calendar that never really changes. But outside of that, especially given that the other obvious ‘this SHOULD be happening as regularly as possible series’ (India and Pakistan) is not going to happen, I think every other team aside from Ireland and Afghanistan who are still finding their feet, and Zimbabwe who are still working out where they stand, should be playing an even number of matches against one another. That’s the long and the short of it.

 

[PhatBoy]

How the masses haven't noticed the same blandness kicking into T20 franchise competitions is beyond me, and maybe that will happen over the next decade or so... But as it stands right now that certainly isn't the case.

T20 franchise cricket is where ODI's were in the mid 90's. Fast forward ten years...

This. 10000000 per cent this. It is SOOOO monotonous.

 

[glengowan]

The alternative would be to go the other way, and accept that proper test series are dead for most test playing nations-- 18/27 of the series in the current WTC are 2 match series. In that case, why not have the WTC be based on standalone test matches?

Instead of 2 tests in one country, have one test be played in each country. Proper home and away match ups over the WTC cycle, more like the Bledisloe Cup. Any test series that are still financially viable (i.e. those between the big 3) can still exist outside the WTC.

The ICC could mandate international windows, and the women's cricket model could be applied to fit within them-- 1 WTC match, a 3 match ODI series (with direct WC qualification consequences) and a 3 match T20 series (again, with some context for the T20 WC).

Yes, WTC based on stand-alone Test matches is a solution IMO.

The biggest danger is Australia, England and India not having anyone else to play against at Test level. ODI's have the World Cup every 4 years to give a pulse to that format of the game worldwide. Whilst the concept of having a WTC is a good one - the format is flawed - as seen in South Africa sending a 2nd XI to NZ.

At the conclusion of the current cycle, which is the Final in June 2025 in England - I would scrap the current format. Let market demand and national priorities take precedent in the scheduling of Test Cricket outside of a June window.

Recreate the World Test Championship to be played over a 4 year period, exclusively in the UK, with June 2029 scheduled for the Finals and the three previous years acting as qualifying. Ten Test Nations, with each Test nation playing 3 Test matches against 3 individual opponents each year, culminating in playing every other nation once over a 3 year period. The Final 5 could be in the old footy format - 1st gets the 1st Round off, 2nd plays 3rd with a double chance, 4th plays 5th in elimination and so on. This would give incentive for each game in the qualifying years, to finish as high as possible.

The time zone in England is very attractive to a worldwide audience, so the ICC could package up for sponsorship and broadcast rights and use these funds to increase salaries for other Test cricket worldwide. 15 Test matches scheduled in one month. Clever scheduling could see most days of the 30 days of June filled with Test match cricket and endless highlights of the best players in the world playing the ultimate format of the game.

There is still relevance for Test series and trophies to be played for at all other times of the year, but not the need to fit in 2-match series here, there and everywhere.

I think we have seen this summer in Australia - Test Cricket during the day and BBL in the evenings works during December/January holidays. There is no reason this wouldn't work in England as well. There is no need to have a standalone Hundred competition in August. Therefore, England could still host series, such as The Ashes, in July/August/Sept as required.

The IPL finishes May 29th this year and Major League Cricket in the USA begins July 4th. The ICC should sew up the June window for Test Cricket right now and keep the flame flickering for Test Cricket to fight another day.

 

[swingdog]

Let’s face it, the only way test cricket survives will be the world going back to the 1920s when Australia and England played. That’s it.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

 

[THE A5]

our next 3 away test series are all 2 tests - new zealand, sri lanka and west indies.

the next 2 home summers consist of india and england and is 5 tests, so not a problem there.

we will wait and see what the home summer of 26/27 looks like:

26/27 home summer is programed with afghanistan (1) new zealand (3) bangladesh (2) staggered from july to march.
it has recently been rumoured it may look like this bangladesh (2) new zealand (4) england (1) - 150th year of test cricket celebrations.

maybe it's time for a test championship tri-series with australia england and india home & away in 5 test series over a 2 year period (eg. we host england one year and tour india and the next year tour england and host india).
the host country can then play or organise a 1 or 2 test series against anyone else as a warm up to those series for those countries who don't care for test cricket anymore and still maintain a 6-7 test summer.

NZ v Australia should be a three test series especially over there.

 

[PhatBoy]

NZ v Australia should be a three test series especially over there.

I do agree though I fear the horse has bolted for that series being as competitive as it would have been 18-24 months ago.

As seems to be an almost existence-long habit for NZ cricket, they reach the summit of the sport or get as close as they have to it, like the odi World Cup final where they did everything but win it, or the world test championship which they won, and they seem to be completely unable to maintain that peak. They have since blown two utterly gilt edged chances to beat England both home and away: they had England trying a new tactic on toast and were blown away by Johnny Bairstow from five wickets down, losing one series and drawing the other, and they seem to have completely lost their mojo.

 

[THE A5]

I do agree though I fear the horse has bolted for that series being as competitive as it would have been 18-24 months ago.

As seems to be an almost existence-long habit for NZ cricket, they reach the summit of the sport - the odi World Cup final where they did everything but win it, or the world test championship which they won, and they seem to be completely unable to maintain that peak. They have since blown two utterly gilt edged chances to beat England both home and away: they had England trying a new tactic on toast and were blown away by Johnny Bairstow from five wickets down, losing one series and drawing the other, and they seem to have completely lost their mojo.

Yep and having ordinary series’s against bangladesh too.
But who knows against Aus and if they have green tops it might be a different thing, especially with our batsmen not going great

 

[frankrizzo]

NZ v Australia should be a three test series especially over there.

kiwis have already said they lose money hosting us for tests so they dont want 3 games, CA would need to help them out financially with hosting the third test or give them few extra 20/20 games to help out, we could do it and should do it but we won't.

 

[010203]

The WTC is a good idea in theory but where it falls apart is there are only 3 countries who can afford to or are willing to play a decent volume of test cricket and prioritise being good at test cricket. To the average Joe, it looks weird how some countries play close to 20 tests in a WTC cycle and others play a tick over 10.

I'm going to wager the final at Lord's in 2025 will be between Australia and India and the 2027 final will be between those two countries, so too the 2029 final. I'll be very, very surprised if a country other than Australia and India plays in a WTC final.

England playing 5 test series in Australia early in 1 WTC cycle and 5 in India early in another cycle means they're going to struggle unless they can start winning tests in both of those countries.

 

[frankrizzo]

Our shithouse over rate could cost us finals spot, we have dodged few bullets already by bowling sides out quick enough that the penalties dont kick in, we bowl that slow next summer vs india we could not only lose tests but lose points we already earned this summer.

 

[PhatBoy]

Our shithouse over rate could cost us finals spot, we have dodged few bullets already by bowling sides out quick enough that the penalties dont kick in, we bowl that slow next summer vs india we could not only lose tests but lose points we already earned this summer.

India have concerns of their own at the moment. Their side has some real holes right now, the pitch at Newlands papered over some gaps - I’m not as convinced that they’ll be competitive as other people are. They need some bowling behind Bumrah and Siraj - obviously whichever spinner they go with will be decent but they need a decent third quick. Their batting is brittle right at the moment aside from Kohli. He’s carrying them.

 

[Topkent]

Does the "IPL window" have to be flipped the other way?

Three or four "test cricket windows" throughout the year where test series are played and can't be encroached upon by other competitions

Lol players will just quit test cricket

Hey would you like to play a test match in Australia you're guaranteed to lose or make 10x as much in a T20 competition .

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Lol players will just quit test cricket

Hey would you like to play a test match in Australia you're guaranteed to lose or make 10x as much in a T20 competition .

Why would they need to choose?

 

[Topkent]

Why would they need to choose?

Because who's gonna enforce a test window and agree to it. Teams will just play shitty players in the test matches

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Because who's gonna enforce a test window and agree to it. Teams will just play shitty players in the test matches

Theoretically the ICC

 

[Topkent]

Theoretically the ICC

Would literally be impossible

Can't force minnow nations to play test matches when it costs them money to. They'll just quit

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Would literally be impossible

Can't force minnow nations to play test matches when it costs them money to. They'll just quit

They don't have to play

Would only need 3 or 4 x 21 days blocks throughout the year.

So 9+ months available for T20 leagues

 

[Topkent]

They don't have to play

Would only need 3 or 4 x 21 days blocks throughout the year.

So 9+ months available for T20 leagues

That doesn't fix anything lol

Australia needs more than 21 days for a home summer, england needs more than that In June. That's your windows gone already.
An that doesn't force good players to play. Just means a team plays a test match

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

That doesn't fix anything lol

Australia needs more than 21 days for a home summer, england needs more than that In June. That's your windows gone already.
An that doesn't force good players to play. Just means a team plays a test match

There's only a handful of series that are more than 3 tests

I'm sure they can work it out for those outliers. They do now with no test windows and all the T20 competitions on

 

[Topkent]

There's only a handful of series that are more than 3 tests

I'm sure they can work it out for those outliers. They do now with no test windows and all the T20 competitions on

So having forced windows would be completely pointless and doesn't fix anything?

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

So having forced windows would be completely pointless and doesn't fix anything?

There would be some periods of the year for test cricket that can't be encroached upon by other competitions.

So a West Indies cricketer for instance doesn't have to choose between playing test cricket or getting paid by T20 leagues, like he does now.

The Aus-Eng-Ind test series don't need fixing, remain as is.

 

[Topkent]

There would be some periods of the year for test cricket that can't be encroached upon by other competitions.

So a West Indies cricketer for instance doesn't have to choose between playing test cricket or getting paid by T20 leagues, like he does now.

The Aus-Eng-Ind test series don't need fixing, remain as is.

That wouldn't happen. The ICC care more about the IPL than test series between NZ and the Windies that loses money lol