Sir Clive Lloyd slams plans to revamp World Test Championship into a two-tier system - as he claims it could be the END of West Indies cricket
Sir Clive Lloyd slams plans to revamp World Test Championship into a two-tier system - as he claims it could be the END of West Indies cricket
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Sir Clive Lloyd fears that radical plans to make Test cricket a two-tier system will plunge one of world sport’s most iconic teams into oblivion. Under the proposals to split the international game’s 12 full member nations in two — to be discussed by ICC chairman Jay Shah and representatives from Australia, India and England later this month — West Indies would be celebrating their 100th anniversary as a Test team in 2028 as second-class citizens.
![[Lloyd claimed the controversial plans could plunge the West Indies cricket team into oblivion]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/06/21/93804161-0-image-a-2_1736199977583.jpg)
First reported by Australian newspaper The Age, consideration is being given to revamping the nine-team World Test Championship into one of two divisions — a 7-5 reworking has been mooted — starting in the summer of 2027. Legendary former West Indies captain Lloyd believes such a move would mean disbanding an international sporting anomaly — the Windies team is selected from 15 Caribbean countries, and any drop in revenues may encourage the bigger islands to go it alone.
![[The plans are set to be discussed by India, Australia, England and the ICC later this month]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/06/21/93804191-0-image-a-3_1736199981292.jpg)
‘You can imagine them talking about dismantling the West Indies teams and playing as their own (islands),’ he said. Lloyd, 80, captained West Indies when they went 27 Test matches unbeaten in the 1980s, culminating in a then record winning streak of 11 in 1984 — six victories against Australia sandwiching five versus England.
Sir Clive Lloyd slammed plans to revamp the World Test Championship into a two-tier system. Lloyd claimed the controversial plans could plunge the West Indies cricket team into oblivion. The plans are set to be discussed by India, Australia, England and the ICC later this month.
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