Test cricket was one of the main topics at the International Cricket Council (ICC) annual meeting held in Edinburgh, Scotland last week. The global cricket governing body is considering adding semi-finals to the World Test Championship (WTC) cycle to add more excitement to the longest format of the game.
The WTC is currently played over two separate phases, with the final match taking place to mark the end of a cycle. While the finals of the tournament concluded with excitement and packed houses, the middle stage of the championship looked less impressive as seats were empty at some venues.
ICC to add semi-finals to WTC cycle
The ICC wants to increase public interest in the entire WTC cycle. Knockout stage can be a solution to attract more attraction and attention of cricket fans. As per the latest reports, the council is actively working to include semi-final matches in the World Test Championship edition in the near future.
The BBC report on 14 July claimed, “An interesting topic that attracted some attention at the meetings was the possibility of adding a semi-final to the WTC to generate more interest.”
The report further reads, “There is a feeling that a greater sense of threat, and giving teams in the middle of the table more chances to play, will help generate more interest in longer format tournaments.”
At present, WTC will remain with 9 teams
There were possibilities that the International Cricket Council may approve the idea of expanding the WTC from 9 teams to 12 teams. Currently, the Test format tournament is played involving the top 9 teams in the ICC Test Rankings. The Mace Race could be expanded in the future if the council allows Afghanistan, Ireland and Zimbabwe to become part of it.
An ICC working group chaired by New Zealand board member Roger Toose is still working on plans to shape the tournament with 12 teams, including Afghanistan, Ireland and Zimbabwe, the BBC reports. Since the plan is still a work in progress, no concrete proposal has been tabled for approval during the last ICC meeting.
The report further stated, “An ICC working group, chaired by New Zealand board member Roger Toose, is still working on plans to expand the tournament to include Afghanistan, Ireland and Zimbabwe. As a result, no concrete proposals have been submitted for approval, and it now looks extremely unlikely that they will be included as part of the next FTP cycle.”
More India vs Pakistan matches in a calendar year
In another interesting move, the council is considering increasing the number of India vs Pakistan matches. Currently, cricket fans have limited opportunities to watch one of the most famous rivalries on the cricket pitch as they mostly play each other during ICC events. Due to the interest of the viewers, India vs Pakistan matches have always proved to be profitable in terms of television viewership.
“All of the above could lead to a match the ICC wants to see more of: India vs Pakistan. The two sides do not play each other outside major tournaments, but this is seen as the most marketable match for television,” the report said.