MCC Committee recommends at least three-match Test series
London: A minimum of three-match Test series and the home team footing the bill of the visiting side in a bilateral contest are some of the recommendations made by the MCC’s World Cricket Committee.
The World Cricket Committee of Marylebone Cricket Club, the custodians of laws of the game, met in Cape Town last week on the sidelines of SA20.
In a statement, the Committee rued the lack of a series decider in the drawn series between Australia and West Indies following the visitors’ stunning win at the Gabba. India and South Africa too drew a fiercely contested two-match series
in December.
“In support of the thrilling Test cricket currently being played and the importance of sustaining the traditional format of the game, the WCC recommends men’s Test series be played across a minimum of three matches from the next ICC Future Tours Programme from 2028 (next cycle) onwards,” said the Committee.
The WCC also highlighted the inequality among ICC member nations and stressed on the need for taking the game to unchartered territories.
“The game owes a debt of gratitude to India, with its insatiable thirst for cricket driving the wealth in the global game.
“However, this reliance upon India belies the fact that the game needs to identify new markets to ensure its global growth, at a time when media rights beyond the current cycle are by no means guaranteed.
“With this uncertainty identified and on the back of the momentum built through this year’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in the USA and Caribbean and the build up to the 2028 Olympics in the USA, the acceleration of the USA as a growth market for cricket would seem a natural consideration,” it said.
“Absorb touring team costs in bilateral series”
Recently, West Indies Cricket CEO had claimed that the travelling expenses of its teams accounts for a chunk of the board’s budget.
“The WCC has long been aware of the game’s global economics being heavily imbalanced and detrimental to touring teams who bear the cost of travel, whilst all revenue is retained by the host body based upon a historical expectation of ‘quid pro quo’ touring arrangements.
