Jay Shah Supports Two-Tier Test Cricket System as ICC Considers New Structure
The ICC is exploring a two-tier Test cricket system. It aims to boost high-profile matches between teams like India, England, and Australia. The move comes after record attendance and viewership for the recent India-Australia Test series. This was especially true at the MCG and SCG.
Jay Shah, Secretary of the BCCI, leads an idea. It aims to boost Test cricket’s excitement and appeal by making it more competitive.
ICC’s Two-Tier Test System: What It Means
The proposed two-tier system would split the Test teams. The top seven would form Tier 1. The remaining five would compete in Tier 2. It would cause more clashes between India, England, and Australia. It could mean up to three series in three years.
However, we cannot implement this new structure until after the WTC 2027. The current FTP is fixed until then. If approved, the two-tier format could change Test cricket’s scheduling and branding.
Past Resistance to the Two-Tier System
Interestingly, this isn’t the first time a two-tier system has been proposed. In 2016, the BCCI, under then-president Anurag Thakur, rejected the idea. They were concerned about marginalizing smaller cricketing nations.
“The BCCI is against the two-tier Test system because the smaller countries will lose out, and the BCCI wants to take care of them,” then-BCCI president Anurag Thakur said in 2016.
Growing Support for the Idea
The idea has gained traction. Supporters include ex-India coach Ravi Shastri. Shastri recently advocated for a two-tier structure. It could boost excitement and Test cricket’s brand value.
The ICC, led by Shah and others, is revisiting the idea. There is a growing audience interest and a need to keep the format relevant in a crowded cricket calendar.
