FILE – India recently played out a 2-2 draw against England in the five-match Test series. Photo: AP
Cricket Australia chief Todd Greenberg warned that the existing calendar of Test cricket could lead cricket boards to bankruptcy. He called for slimming down the schedule. Greenberg has demanded that focus be given to playing more quality matches over quantity to make Test cricket a viable format. The International Cricket Council (ICC) recently formed a working group to reflect on the future of Test cricket and the potential to introduce a two-tier system.
“Scarcity in Test cricket is our friend, not our foe,” said Greenberg. “I don’t think everyone in world cricket needs to aspire to play Test cricket, and that might be OK,” he added.
Greenberg demands more Test series like the Ashes between England and Australia. The 2025-26 Ashes series will get under way in Australia on November 21, with the first Test at Perth.
The recently concluded Test series between England and India was a big hit, with the series ending in a 2-2 draw after India registered a six-run win at The Oval, with Mohammed Siraj dramatically turning things around for India on the fifth morning.
However, Australia won the three-match series against West Indies 3-0, while New Zealand registered a comfortable win over Zimbabwe – winning one Test by an innings and 359 runs.
“We need to make sure we invest in the right spaces to play Test cricket where it means something and has jeopardy,” Greenberg added. “That’s why the Ashes will be as enormous and profitable as it is – because it means something.”
Test cricket is also facing the heat from the popularity of T20 cricket, which has received much more acceptance from non-traditional countries. Franchise-based cricket is on the rise across the world, further congesting the cricket calendar.