Legendary South African cricketer Graeme Smith has expressed concerns about the idea of a two-tier system for Test cricket—an idea reportedly under discussion by cricket powerhouses India, Australia, and England, alongside newly elected International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman Jay Shah. Smith pointed out that no other sport limits competition to just the top three teams, while also stressing the importance of ensuring well-matched contests in Test cricket.
According to the Australian newspaper The Age, the ICC is considering a two-tier system in which the top tier would comprise India, Australia, England, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, and New Zealand, while teams such as the West Indies, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Ireland, and Zimbabwe would form the second tier. The report makes no mention of whether a promotion and relegation mechanism would exist in this two-tier format, which is said to be planned for implementation after the current cycle of the Future Tours Programme (FTP) ends in 2027.
This potential shift in Test cricket comes at a time when the “Big Three” are already playing significantly more Tests than other teams. The rise in popularity of franchise-based T20 leagues has further exacerbated the issue, with teams like the West Indies, New Zealand, and South Africa struggling to retain their best talent for the longest format of the game.
“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 during an appearance on Sky Cricket.
“How does the ICC create a structure that’s fair in the top three’s eyes? I think what world cricket needs is South Africa to be strong, the West Indies to be strong, and Sri Lanka to improve. Otherwise, can you see a world where there are only three nations playing cricket in the future?” he added.
DO WHAT YOU HAVE GOT TO DO: SMITH
Former cricketers like Ravi Shastri and Michael Vaughan have endorsed the idea, saying Test cricket needs more competitive contests for its survival. The recent blockbuster between India and Australia, which drew record crowds in Australia, was a great advertisement for the longest format of the game.
The former South African captain, who played a pivotal role in the team’s dominance in Test cricket during the last decade, emphasised the need for all teams to prioritise the format. He also highlighted South Africa’s success in the current World Test Championship (WTC) cycle as an example.
“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,” he stated.
“You’ve got to do what you’ve got to do, and South Africa have 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.”
For the first time in history, South Africa reached the WTC final, finishing the 2023-25 cycle at the top of the points table. They are set to face Australia in the final at Lord’s in London this June.
Tune In
