Cricket’s bigwigs seem certain to introduce a World Test League, with the top four teams playing off every four years. It will be the most radical change in Test matches since they began more than 130 years ago.
According to a press release of the International Cricket Council (ICC), the league throws up the prospect of England and Australia competing in a one-off match for the title of the world’s best five-day team.
However, both countries will need to improve to achieve that mouthwatering clash, with Andrew Strauss’ England rated only fifth and Ricky Ponting’s Aussies fourth.
Flagship Test series such as The Ashes and England against South Africa will not be affected.
The position of the team in the league is likely to be determined by the current ranking system. ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said: "Restructuring international cricket is a significant challenge and these far-reaching proposals are very exciting. The league will help provide context for all Test matches."
The first play-off is planned for 2013 and will be repeated every four years. A similar one-day international league will run from April 2011 to April 2014 and would be separate from the 50-over World Cup.
The ICC is also set to beef up anti-corruption measures by hiring extra staff and ratifying all agents. "It is not enough that the ICC is regarded as a leader in the battle against corruption in sport. We must continue to assess and, where necessary, improve our processes. The recent allegations have reminded everyone of the need to remain vigilant and to ensure public confidence in our sport," Lorgat said.
The CEC endorsed a series of recommendations from a CEC working group, which was set up to identify ways of introducing context for international cricket within the Future Tours Programme (FTP) after 2012 and also to consider future ICC events.
Among the other issues taken up for consideration was a 10-team format for the ICC’s flagship event, the ICC Cricket World Cup, from 2015 The ICC board has also been asked to consider a 16-team format for the men’s ICC World Twenty20 from 2012, with the women’s event continuing to run alongside and the introduction of Twenty20 International rankings table as soon as this is justifiable.
“Achieving balance and unanimous agreement is not easy but it is a very important piece of work that requires a strategic response. The holistic set of proposals, especially introducing more meaningful context, means we now have the potential to follow international cricket that is even more exciting,” Lorgat said.
“Protecting and promoting all three formats at international level is viable and I believe the CEC has shown itself to be forward thinking in tackling the challenges. I am now encouraged to engage with the ICC Executive Board to consider these proposals as soon as possible,” he added.