Kolkata : ICC is planning to boost Test Cricket with introducing a dedicated fund starting next year to boost Test Cricket.
The aim is to enable Countries outside the ‘Big 3′ (India, Australia, England) play more Test Cricket, thereby competing with lucrative financial booster franchise leagues.
In recent year, many country’s players are seen skipping Test Cricket to play Franchise Leagues all over the World. New Zealand, West Indies, South African players to be precise.
Therefore, ICC has taken this step to boost Test Cricket. The initiative is primarily driven by Cricket Australia chair Mark Baird and supported by the BCCI and ECB, aims to establish a central fund that would provide a minimum standard match fee for players, reportedly around US $10,000 . The goal is to finalize the proposal by Christmas, allowing it to be implemented next year. The proposed fund, expected to be about US $15 million.
The main motto is to make Test Cricket more lucrative than rich franchise Cricket leagues which players opt over the Red Ball format. It would also help financially constrained cricket boards cover the costs associated with red-ball cricket, which often operates at a loss for the nine Test-playing nations outside the Big 3.
There’re also instances of Boards outside Big 3 facing financial losses. Like, Cricket West Indies’ outgoing CEO, Johnny Grave, disclosed that their tour of Australia earlier this year cost the board US $2 million.
It is currently at a formative stage and has not been discussed formally by the ICC at the board level or by their executive committee. But Baird is confident.
“It’s fantastic to see some momentum behind the Test-match fund,” he told the Sydney Morning Herald. “We need to take away the barriers and encourage Test cricket to be the best of the best. To retain that history and that legacy, which goes alongside the newer forms of white-ball cricket.”
Last month, ECB chief executive Richard Gould revealed that Zimbabwe would be paid a “touring fee” when they come over for a one-off Test at Trent Bridge on May 22.
Many Boards have already been dealing in reciprocal agreements in some form or another due to skewed economies.
For instance, the ECB, agreed to an extra three T20Is on their 2023 limited-overs tour of the Caribbean. As a good gesture for West Indies Test series in England last month, the ECB will facilitate West Indies Under-19 tour to the UK.
These are initial steps to boost Test Cricket Globally and will be beneficial to boost the longest format in long term.
