Let's have a new FTP

[pluga_4]

seeing everyone is criticising the FTP etc i thought i'd come up with a model.

i think everyone's main beef is with the inequality of the current one.

this is a 5 year cycle based on 11 test nations (in this exercise i have granted ireland test status).
i have also done a 4 year cycle based on 9 test nations (and didn't include zimbabwe).

but for this exercise we'll run with the 5 year cycle.

• no more 2 or 5 test series
• host nation to have 7 home tests per summer
• 2 visiting nations per summer with 1 playing 3 tests and the other playing 4 (at the hosts discretion)
• 2 away tours every year (normally back to back to allow more downtime for players)
• odi/T20I component to be with ALL test series
• ind/pak/sl/bang summer to be aug-nov
• still have odi/T20I world cups (only multi team tournaments)

eg. in year 1: australia to host ireland (3) and england (4)
then later that year tour bangladesh and india one after the other
year 2: australia to host zimbabwe (3) and south africa (4)
then later that year tour pakistan and sri lanka one after the other
year 3: australia to host bangladesh (3) and india (4)
then later that year tour ireland and england one after the other
year 4: australia host sri lanka (3) and pakistan (4)
then tour zimbabwe and south africa
year 5: australia to host new zealand (3) and west indies (4)
then tour new zealand and west indies

i've done it on all the other countries in the same format so they aren't touring all over the place and it works, so i won't bore you guys with that.
so basically all nations would play 35 home tests in this period and 30-40 away tests depending how many the host nation nominates to play them in. eg. you would think england would nominate to play australia for 4 tests as my programme had nz touring england when we did.

not fussed on how the odi/T20I part could work but i'm against tri-series as crowds don't go to the neutral games and with 7 home tests it isn't required.
i'd be happy with 3-5 odi series and 2-3 T20I's.
so a typical summer could look like 7 tests /10 odi's/5 T20I's

with the 7 tests in australia we could have one at the big 6 grounds with the 7th being rotated (eg. SCG or MCG again or even olympic stadium, etihad etc )

i'd like to hear everyone's thoughts seeing we've all got the games best interests at heart.

be interesting to see how many people would also like to see a 5 test ashes series stay on the FTP.

 

[Mateyman]

I reckon 5 test Ashes is a must.

 

[golions]

Like the OPs thinking.

If we can find a away to have a 5 test Ashes series as well as 5 test series between number 1 and 2 that would be even better.

 

[Admiral Byng]

Not sure about 7 test matches. Too long.

 

[pluga_4]

Not sure about 7 test matches. Too long.

england play 7 home tests basically every summer these days.

happy to cut it back to 6 tests per nations to host each summer, making it 3 each and even more equal.

my reasoning for 7 was to try and keep the iconic series still.

 

[DrVanNostrand]

The Ashes should, and aways will be, at least five Tests.

A seven Test home summer for everyone except Australia, England, South Africa, West Indies and India is unfeesable:

• Zimbabwe only has two Test venues, and one is currently in a state of disrepair
• Bangladesh has three (current) Test venues, but IMO probably need more away Tests than anything
• NZ have plenty of venues but their usual summer is 3-4 Tests which is plenty for the fanbase
• Ireland might host 1-2 Tests per season for their first 5 years
• Sri Lanka don't want to host any Tests because of $$$
• Pakistan don't host Tests period and won't for a very long time

I do agree, however, the current FTP is stupidly slanted in favour of the 'big four' who play each other probably twice as much as they play anyone else (in Tests). Bangladesh recently went more than 12 months without playing a Test FFS.

Also, the ability the boards have to disregard the FTP alltogether is ridiculous. Sri Lanka are cancelling Tests left, right and centre. Australia and India flat-out refuse to host Bangaldesh or Zimbabwe, and I imagine will do the same with Ireland.

I don't have a problem with 2-Test series for stronger sides against Zim, Ban or Ireland; as long as they play plenty of 2-Test series instead of playing one every 6+ months. Since readmission, Zimbabwe have played 4 Tests in 18 months (two one-offs against NZ and two against Pakistan). Although they are about to play a 2-Test series against the Windies (complete with ODIs and t20s) which is a positive sign.

I think I've rambled enoough. For now.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

Without laying out too much detail, the things I would like to see are:

• a four year cycle, playing every other nation home and away in Tests during that time; that may need to become five years if there are 12 teams
• no limited overs tours (50 or 20 overs) without a Test series; exceptions for the World Cup and for series involving non-Test nations (eg West Indies would not be here this summer for a bilateral series, but there could have been a tri-series including a nation such as Ireland, Scotland or Afghanistan).
• failure to adhere to the FTP to have severe penalties (off the top of my head penalties could include one or more of: home T20 competition not allowed to incude foreign players, exclusion from World Cups and/or T20 Worlds)
• a Test Championship Final Series of 5 Tests, with no other international cricket or domestic T20 allowed during that time (exactly how that would work timing wise is difficult though)

 

[The Speaker]

There must be A team tours of/for Associate nations during the period.

Tours should be longer, but less of them. All tours must have three Tests and ODIs.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

You can still have your "iconic" five test series. It's just that the test rankings are based on the first three tests in the series.

The Ashes or Border-Gavaskar Trophy are based on the full series if countries want to play those extra matches due to history or commercial reasons.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

There must be A team tours of/for Associate nations during the period.

Agree completely. Whether its "A" teams (Australia plays both Scotland and Ireland in a four day game this year) or state/county/provincial sides, eg Afghanistan tour for a couple of first class and ListA games against various states, the leading associates and affiliates need more cricket against good quality opposition.
That is probably outside the scope of the FTP though.

 

[Mateyman]

You can still have your "iconic" five test series. It's just that the test rankings are based on the first three tests in the series.

The Ashes or Border-Gavaskar Trophy are based on the full series if countries want to play those extra matches due to history or commercial reasons.

I think that would be terrible. How can you arbitrarily not rank matches?

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

I think that would be terrible. How can you arbitrarily not rank matches?

How can you have a competition where you play some teams more than others?

You can't.

(except in AFL)

It would make absolutely no sense for us to have 6 tests against South Africa and 10 against England.

 

[Mateyman]

How can you have a competition where you play some teams more than others?

You can't.

(except in AFL)

It would make absolutely no sense for us to have 6 tests against South Africa and 10 against England.

The rankings system takes into account difficulty of opponents. If you keep it to the odd series it makes very little difference. Teams will find it hard to fit in too many extras along with everything else they're scheduled to play

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

The rankings system takes into account difficulty of opponents. If you keep it to the odd series it makes very little difference.

That's a ridiculous system and impossible to administer fairly. The current system is amazingly convoluted.

Teams will find it hard to fit in too many extras along with everything else they're scheduled to play

That's up to them. I'm sure Australia for instance would think it's worth the effort to squeeze in extra tests versus England and India.

 

[Mateyman]

That's up to them. I'm sure Australia for instance would think it's worth the effort to squeeze in extra tests versus England and India.

Yes, and 4 tests over 2 years is hardly gross inequality