West Indies great Clive Lloyd ‘disturbed’ by two-tier plan for Test cricket
West Indies great Clive Lloyd ‘disturbed’ by two-tier plan for Test cricket
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The West Indies great Clive Lloyd is “disturbed” by the idea of a two-tier structure for Test cricket and believes efforts should instead be focused on ensuring struggling teams play more often against the top sides. According to a report in the Melbourne Age, India, Australia and England are in talks to divide Test cricket into two divisions to allow cricket’s “Big Three” to play each other more often. The International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Indian chairman Jay Shah will meet representatives of the Australian and English boards this month, the report added.
Lloyd was fiercely critical of the idea, which he believed could be catastrophic for the likes of West Indies, which ruled the game in the 1970s and 1980s when he was captain. “I think it will be terrible for all those countries who worked so hard to get the Test status,” the 80-year-old said. “Now they’ll be playing among themselves in the lower section. How are they going to make it to the top? When you play against better teams.”.
The ICC did not offer any immediate comment on whether the proposal was under consideration. Test cricket is under pressure from the popularity of T20 leagues across the world, but the format produces intense drama at the top level. India just played a blockbuster series in front of huge crowds in Australia, and their next Test assignment is another five-match series in England in June-July.
The former India coach Ravi Shastri is a vocal supporter of the two-tier concept, which he believes can help Test cricket survive against T20. “The top teams play against each other more often, so there is a contest. You want contests,” Shastri told SEN radio during India’s fifth Test against Australia.
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