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Test cricket was one of the main topics in the annual meeting of the International Cricket Council (ICC), which took place in Edinburgh, Scotland, the previous week. The global cricket governing body is considering adding semi-finals in the World Test Championship (WTC) cycle to add more excitement in the longest format of the game.
WTC is currently played with two separate phases, with a final match to mark the end of a cycle. While the final of the tournament concluded with excitement and full houses, the mid-phase of the championship looks less impressive as some of the venues contain empty seats.
ICC to add Semi-Finals in WTC cycle
ICC wants to increase public interest throughout the WTC cycle. To gain more traction and attention from cricket fans, a knockout stage can be a solution. As per the latest reports, the Council is actively working to include semi-final matches in a World Test Championship edition in the near future.
“One interesting subject which gained some traction in meetings was the possibility of adding semi-finals to the WTC to stimulate more interest,” the BBC report claims on July 14.
“There is a feeling that a greater sense of jeopardy, and giving teams in the middle of the table more to play for, would help generate more interest in a tournament for the longer format,” the report further reads.
As of now, WTC will remain with 9 teams
There were possibilities that the International Cricket Council could stamp on the idea to expand 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 race for the mace could be expanded in the future if the Council allows Afghanistan, Ireland and Zimbabwe to become a part of it.
According to the BBC report, an ICC working group, headed by New Zealand board member Roger Twose, is still working on the plan to shape the tournament around 12 teams, involving Afghanistan, Ireland and Zimbabwe. As the plan is still in progress, no concrete proposals have been presented on the table for approval during the previous ICC meeting.
“An ICC working group, headed by New Zealand board member Roger Twose, is still working through plans to expand the tournament to include Afghanistan, Ireland and Zimbabwe. As a result, no concrete proposals have been presented for approval, and it now looks extremely unlikely they will be incorporated as part of the next FTP cycle,” the report further mentioned.
More India vs Pakistan matches in one calendar year
In another interesting move, the Council is looking forward to increasing the number of India vs Pakistan matches. Currently, cricket fans have only limited opportunities to watch one of the most celebrated rivalries on the cricket pitch as they mostly play each other during ICC events. Due to crowd interest, an India vs Pakistan match has always proved lucrative in terms of television viewership.
“All of the above could lead to an increase in the one fixture the ICC wants to see more of: India versus Pakistan. The two sides do not play each other outside major tournaments, but it is seen as the most marketable fixture for television,” the report reads.
