A couple of months ago ICC declared their intent to change the format of Test cricket by dividing it into 7-5 system of two divisions. Two of the Big Three, English Cricket Board (ECB) and Cricket Australia (CA) supported the idea along with Cricket South Africa (CSA), New Zealand Cricket (NZC) and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). While Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) strongly opposed it. Well BCCI choose to oppose it and it was ‘SCRAPED’.
Let's analyze this format. With a two-tier system of 7-5, we will get to see Associate Nations like Ireland and Afghanistan get a shot at Test Cricket in a fairly easy way than in the current format. At the same time countries like Zimbabwe and Bangladesh, who have continued to maintain their Test status inspite of some lacklustre performances, may find themselves playing in the Intercontinental Cup.
The plan was proposed with an idea to get more countries involved in playing Test cricket than the current 10. But one must ask will anyone really care about the second division teams? The formation of two divisions will increase an already wide economic and power gap between nations. As we well know that in football, people only watch the top Leagues—EPL, Ligue 1, Serie A, La Liga, etc. The teams in the Second or further lower divisions don't get much of the air time and the matches are only attended by home crowds.
Similarly the analogy can be applied to cricket as well. The teams in the First Division will be getting all the air time, while the teams in the second division would play matches which no one would want to watch. In case of football you could always rely on a financer to back you up, but in case of cricket you can't even expect that to happen.
The plan it seems is being proposed by ICC with only one goal to promote the dying breed of Test cricket and to make it more competitive. ICC must take steps to revive interest in Test cricket, but with careful deliberations.
