1. Two divisions of six
It’s very difficult to get right. I don’t have all the answers, but do have some thoughts. The first thing I would do is look at two divisions of six for Test cricket. Right now, there are too many mismatched games between teams that have wildly different resources, pathways and preparation. The best Test match in these parts this summer was Ireland against Zimbabwe in Northern Ireland, because they were two well-matched teams and it was competitive.
Obviously, it would not be ideal for teams in the second division, but I would have promotion and relegation every two years, at the same time you crown a Test champion. That would provide incentives to play, as would the proposed ICC fund to help raise match fees.
2. Equitable ICC fund sharing
If ICC funds were shared more equally, pathways could be put in place for the development of top-class players. At the minute, England have great pathways, so do India and Australia. The likes of Sri Lanka and West Indies are relying on raw talent, which they still have plenty of, but that can only get you so far.
3. Test-only windows
I would book three one-month windows into the schedule, where there’s no franchise cricket, so Test cricket is the only show in town. Hopefully, that would persuade a few players to keep playing Test cricket rather than just sticking to franchise stuff year-round.
In those windows, I’d have all the teams playing at the same time. Possibly, towards the end of a cycle, that could mean everyone playing concurrently in the same country, or on the same continent.
We’ve got the venues and the support here to play multiple Tests at once, if priced right. We could have months where every team is playing in the southern hemisphere, or in the subcontinent too. I look back to the best day of Test cricket this year, which was when Tom Hartley spun England to victory in Hyderabad at the same time as Shamar Joseph ran through Australia in Brisbane. Fans across the world were gripped.
