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ICC Test Play-Offs
- Thread starter Struts
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Great stuff that
Not sure on this myself. Puts a huge amount of focus on a single series of games when there could be so much more to it. From one perspective you could see someone like Ireland develop a fantastic infrastructure and a decent competitive side, then have a poor series and its another few years before they get another go. Surely they should be judged by what they can offer to the Test arena on a whole rather than whether they can do Zimbabwe in a 4 game series.
Similarly what if a side with zero infrastructure and 1 or 2 decent players at the minute qualifies, then manages to sneak past Zimbabwe, suddenly they are in the Test Arena getting smashed for 2 years and being "relegated" again straight away.
Yes, it will be exciting and maybe opens things up more, but I think the ICC should be doing more to get out into the countries who could potentially step up to see what they have, help them develop, and ultimately get them into the test arena without a one off qualifier! The same goes for existing sides. Zimbabwe and Bangladesh should be demonstrating progress and forward thinking or they too should face the threat of having the status taken away from them.
Similarly what if a side with zero infrastructure and 1 or 2 decent players at the minute qualifies, then manages to sneak past Zimbabwe, suddenly they are in the Test Arena getting smashed for 2 years and being "relegated" again straight away.
Yes, it will be exciting and maybe opens things up more, but I think the ICC should be doing more to get out into the countries who could potentially step up to see what they have, help them develop, and ultimately get them into the test arena without a one off qualifier! The same goes for existing sides. Zimbabwe and Bangladesh should be demonstrating progress and forward thinking or they too should face the threat of having the status taken away from them.
ProfessionalMackem
Striker
I like it.
I would even go further by having a footy based 3 tier league format of 8 teams that last 2-3 years. With two getting relegated. One outright and one in a playoff against 2nd in the league below.
Premiership
England
South Africa
Austrailia
Pakistan
Sri Lanka
West Indies
India
New Zealand
Championship
Bangladesh
Afganistan
Zimbabwe
Ireland
Scotland
Holland
Canada
Kenya
3rd Division
UAE
Hong Kong
Papa New Guinea
Nepal
Namibia
France
USA
Denmark[DOUBLEPOST=1397149433][/DOUBLEPOST]How class would that be?
I would even go further by having a footy based 3 tier league format of 8 teams that last 2-3 years. With two getting relegated. One outright and one in a playoff against 2nd in the league below.
Premiership
England
South Africa
Austrailia
Pakistan
Sri Lanka
West Indies
India
New Zealand
Championship
Bangladesh
Afganistan
Zimbabwe
Ireland
Scotland
Holland
Canada
Kenya
3rd Division
UAE
Hong Kong
Papa New Guinea
Nepal
Namibia
France
USA
Denmark[DOUBLEPOST=1397149433][/DOUBLEPOST]How class would that be?
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Struts
Winger
That is.....actually pretty good! Would you have a One day version running alongside?
ProfessionalMackem
Striker
Why not mate?
Would give some overdue structure and incentive to every series. The only down side would be no 5 game series, just 3. Haven't really thought about the nitty gritty details like home or away, points system etc. Just that the overall structure above would get some more coverage and more countries round the world playing rather than just ex colonial outposts.
I can't really think of any downsides. Other than the big three committee's not making as much money rather sharing it about. Which for that reason I can never see it happening.
Twisted
Striker
if test cricket was ever renamed the premiership of cricket i would be out.
J
johnson
Guest
I see what you are saying, but I think it would be unfair on the top league to have a team get relegated, the likes of Windies and NZ would be a big loss
NZ for example now have a very good team, capable of beating a lot of sides, but they won't always have, they are the type of nation who will go through the odd bad patch, don't think it would be fair to relegate them.
It already exists below the test playing elite, but in one day format
ProfessionalMackem
Striker
Im sure we would come up with a better name. That was just off the cuff.[DOUBLEPOST=1397223207][/DOUBLEPOST]
Even though I totally agree bout what your saying bout NZ. They're doing remarkably well for a small nation. But if you have no ups or downs, getting new blood in then the sport will stagnate.
Plus how are other smaller nations gonna get a chance to grow and progress if we don't have some form of promotion or relegation?[DOUBLEPOST=1397223266][/DOUBLEPOST]
They should do it for the big boys too at test level.
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J
johnson
Guest
What I would do, was have a league involving the smaller nations for a year first, the winner of that gets promoted and added to the big nations league.
Then say if Ireland won, we have a league involving all the top teams plus Ireland, with the bottom team getting relegated and the top team of the league below taking the place. So if NZ or West Indies finished below Ireland, then they deserve to go down.
If that makes sense? I personally think all the top teams should be guaranteed their place , but there should be 1 smaller nation added before the promotion and relegation starts.
ProfessionalMackem
Striker
Mate with all due respect that post is a fallacy. The structure of Test cricket at the moment is a shambles and will only get worse. The big 3 boards will make sure of that. They don't care about the likes of Bangladesh they only care about playing each other and the money that brings.
At least with what im suggesting everyone will have to play everyone with no dead series or rubbers. With the threat of relegation even the big boys it will rejuvenate the test arena.
I really can't see why anyone would be against it?[DOUBLEPOST=1397224012][/DOUBLEPOST]
I hear what your saying I does make sense. If safe guarding the big teams is your agenda. In your suggestion no big team would ever get relegated. What im suggesting is to shake everything up.
In the "Prem" one big team would defo get relegated and the other having a playoff. This way every series would mean so so much more.
Plus I don't know why you're protecting the big teams. If they're that good. They'd always be there And there abouts. Plus I reckon you would see a great improvement in associate nations as they would have better incentives. They might even try and sort their internal leagues out too.
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J
johnson
Guest
I don't think NZ or Windies deserve to go down, that would have big financial consequences for them, which is unfair
If they were to finish below a qualified nation then fair enough, but I think they should be safeguarded, they aren't making much money out of test cricket as it is, only the big 3 are, so why punish them further
ProfessionalMackem
Striker
Stale stale stale mate.
Thats what happens if you safe guard the big teams. What would the prem be like if only one team got relegated?
Don't deserve to go down? I can't fathom the reasoning for that mate. Maybe that's the reason why the best sport on the planet gets played by a few select countries. Why make it so insular as it is now?
Why do you think it would be windies or NZ in trouble? Under the new rules I think more teams would be looking over there shoulder.
J
johnson
Guest
Because these are the nations that provide great players
If a team were to get relegated and just play the minnows, the whole country would lose interest, people would not watch and people would stop playing it
Don't agree with it all myself.
The only change I think they should make is cut down on the 50 over games and abolish 2 or 3 match test series, increasing them to 4 or 5.
I can see the point in it and I can also see a possible argument for further relegations. This could just be what Test Cricket needs to reignite the fire taken away by the IPL cash cow.
Or maybe players will just become freelance T20 specialists and not give a fuck about their respective countries a la Chris Gayle et al.
Or maybe players will just become freelance T20 specialists and not give a fuck about their respective countries a la Chris Gayle et al.
ProfessionalMackem
Striker
I beg to differ marra even though I kind of agree with your sentiment. This country that gets relegated might suffer from drop in interest it might not though. From beating up lesser nations and gaining promotion back up to the top tear.
ok. Let me ask you a question. Why do you think cricket isnt being played by the world?[DOUBLEPOST=1397238893][/DOUBLEPOST]
We need the monies and glamour spread to all nations wanting to play the game. Not just the power three or the other test playing nations.
I want a world where we have loads of countries playing top top cricket. Not just the select few.
Me too marra. I don't care much for pyjama cricket either so any reduction of that to accommodate more Test cricket is fine by me
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