ICC mulls dedicated fund to help Test cricket grow beyond dominant Big Three

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is planning to introduce a dedicated fund for Test cricket which can help the format grow outside the Big Three i.e., India, Australia, and England.

The ICC is set to introduce this concept in the year 2025 to allow the boards outside the Big Three to compete with the various T20 leagues around the world which attracts several players with their lucrative offers.

The move has been initiated by Cricket Australia (CA) chairman Mark Baird. It is believed that Baird has the required support of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

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ICC planning to introduce a dedicated fund to help Test cricket grow other than the Big Three

The aim of the move is to create a central fund to provide minimum standard match fees for the players across the board, which is around US$ 10,000. It is believed that a decision will be taken by this year so that it becomes operational from next year.

The move is likely to be a much-needed one for Test cricket and it is likely to attract the players to opt for the longer format rather than going out to play the lucrative T20 leagues around the world.

The dedicated fund is expected to be around US$ 15 million. It is believed that BCCI Secretary Jay Shah and ECB Chairman Richard Thompson are already in support of this decision. Jay Shah even spoke publicly about this fund a few days ago in order to save Test cricket.

The decision is currently at a formative stage and has not been put up in the discussion formally by the ICC at the board level or by their executive committee. However, Baird was confident that it will be approved by the ICC board.

Mark Baird about the new concept in Tests

"It's fantastic to see some momentum behind the Test-match fund. We need to take away the barriers and encourage Test cricket to be the best of the best. To retain that history and that legacy, which goes alongside the newer forms of white-ball cricket," Baird said to the Sydney Morning Herald.

There are nine Test-playing nations other than the Big Three. Those nations often operate at a loss when it comes to Test cricket, even as the hosts. A few months ago, Cricket West Indies (CWI) CEO Johnny Grave opened up that the tour of Australia at the start of 2024 cost the board a loss of US$ 2 million despite West Indies putting in a memorable performance.

Zimbabwe would get a touring fee

In July 2024, ECB chief executive Richard Gould said that Zimbabwe would be paid a 'touring fee' when they come over for a one-off Test match at Nottingham starting on May 22 next year. Gould had come up with the idea of the hosts paying a certain fee to the traveling teams a year before.

Currently, West Indies is the team that is often struggling with the availability of its players for international cricket as most of its players have contracts in various T20 leagues around the world. If the move gets approved by the ICC, it will be a huge relief for West Indies.