New ICC Champions format
The farce that was the first week or so of the ICC champions trophy needs to be changed. Australia v USA in cricket is not entertainment. I understand that the cricketing minnows need to play stronger teams in order to improve, but stepping up against the world's top teams is too difficult a task.The ICC should look at dropping the 2 lowest ranked one day teams to play in a seperate competition with the minnows. This would then allow the top 8 teams to provide a showcase of cricket, rather than the one-sided beatings that are over before the crowd has a chance to get settled.
2 groups of 4 teams would play each other. The top teams then play the number 2 in the other group, with the winners playing the final. This would have the same number of matches as the current system, but reduce the incidence of one sided matches.
The 2 teams that fail to make the competition would play in a special competition against the top 6 non test nations. This would give the minnows a chance to play a test nation without being humiliated. Again, you would have matches that would keep spectators interest, rather than being over before half time.
The two teams that make the final of the minnows competition would then be granted status as a one-day international team and go on to play the likes of Australia, England, India etc.
A similar system shoul0l be implemented for the test teams. The last ranked team each 2 years, would play one home and one away test against the highest ranked non-test nation. The minnow would have to beat the current test nation to take it's place. A loss or draw would allow the existing test nation to keep their position.
When you have a system where a team, once chosen, can deteriorate to no better than an average club side and not be able to lose their test-playing status, then the system need to change.
It would be good to see the test playing nations being chosen based on ability, not how many votes they can manage to muster within the ICC. Kenya showed with their performance at the last world cup and the champions trphy, that they may be more deserving of a test spot than Bangladesh and may even give Zimbabwe a run for their money.
Kenya v Bangladesh, now that's a test match that I would love to see.
posted by Kevin Paine @ 1:08 am
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