As per reports, ICC is considering dividing all Test playing nations into two divisions.
Former South Africa captain Graeme Smith has opposed the ICC proposal for a two-tier Test cricket system. Smith said that if such a system is implemented, then teams other than India, Australia, and England will be left to struggle.
According to the Australian newspaper The Age, the ICC is considering a two-tier system, with India, Australia, England, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, and New Zealand in the top tier and the West Indies, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Ireland, and Zimbabwe in the second.
The report makes no mention of a promotion and relegation process in this two-tier format, which is slated for adoption after the current cycle of the Future Tours Programme (FTP) expires in 2027.
This prospective shift in Test cricket occurs at a time when the "Big Three" already play many more Tests than other sides. The rise in popularity of franchise-based T20 leagues has worsened the problem, with teams such as the West Indies, New Zealand, and South Africa unable to keep their finest players for the longest version of the game.
"My answer to that would be we (South Africa) are in the World Test Championship (WTC) final; we've got a chance to win the mace. I think that's the key. You've got to do what you've got to do, and South Africa has done that. I think over the last couple of years, their win percentages are actually pretty decent if you go and look over a period of time," Smith said while talking to Sky Sports.
Smith stated that it does not happen in any sport when the top three nations face off "all the time" and that there must be a balance that allows other nations to play the big teams. The two-tier structure for Test cricket will distinguish the top sides from the others, with weaker nations competing in the lower divisions.
"I also do feel for the ICC. I was just looking at a note this morning about how much England and India are playing each other over the next period, and Australia, and vice versa. It gets extremely hard for the other nations.
India are probably the best because they are commercially so reliable for the other nations. But where do you find the top three nations playing each other all the time? And you can only imagine in the next FTP cycle how that's been tied up in the background,” Smith said.
He said for the betterment of the sport, teams like South Africa, West Indies and Sri Lanka need to be backed to keep raising their level of cricket.
"How does the ICC create a structure that's fair in the top three's eyes? I think what world cricket needs is, it needs South Africa strong, needs the West Indies strong, needs Sri Lanka to get better. Otherwise, can you see a world where there are only three nations playing cricket in the future?" he asked to conclude.
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