Photo Credit: Twitter Profile Photo of @GraemeSmith49
Former South African cricket captain Graeme Smith has raised concerns over the proposed two-tier system for Test cricket, reportedly under discussion by cricketing powerhouses India, Australia, and England, along with ICC chairman Jay Shah.
Smith criticized the idea, noting that no other sport restricts competition to its top three teams and emphasized the importance of fostering competitive and well-matched Test cricket contests.
As reported by The Age, the ICC is exploring a structure where the top tier would include India, Australia, England, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, and New Zealand, while the second tier would consist of teams such as the West Indies, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Ireland, and Zimbabwe. The report does not clarify whether the system would incorporate promotion and relegation, with implementation speculated for after the 2027 conclusion of the current Future Tours Programme (FTP).
This proposed change comes amid growing disparities in Test cricket, with the “Big Three” nations playing far more Tests than others. Additionally, the popularity of franchise-based T20 leagues has made it challenging for teams like the West Indies, New Zealand, and South Africa to retain their best players for the longest format of the game.
During an appearance on Sky Cricket, Smith said, “I also do feel for the ICC. I was just looking at a note this morning about how much England and India are playing each other over the next period, and Australia and vice versa. It gets extremely hard for the other nations… India are probably the best because they are commercially so reliable for the other nations. But where do you find the top three nations playing each other all the time? And you can only imagine in the next FTP cycle how that’s been tied up in the background.”
He added, “How does the ICC create a structure that’s fair in the top three’s eyes? I think what world cricket needs is South Africa to be strong, the West Indies to be strong, and Sri Lanka to improve. Otherwise, can you see a world where there are only three nations playing cricket in the future?”
While former players such as Ravi Shastri and Michael Vaughan have supported the two-tier proposal as a means to ensure more competitive matches in Test cricket, Smith stressed the need for all teams to prioritize the format. He cited South Africa’s success in the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) cycle as evidence of what can be achieved with commitment to the format.
“My answer to that would be, we [South Africa] are in the World Test Championship (WTC) final; we’ve got a chance to win the mace. I think that’s the key,” Smith said.
“You’ve got to do what you’ve got to do, and South Africa have done that. I think over the last couple of years, their win percentages are actually pretty decent if you go and look over a period of time.”
For the first time in history, South Africa has reached the WTC final, finishing the 2023-25 cycle at the top of the points table. They will face Australia in the final at Lord’s in London this June.
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Name of Author: Cricexec Staff
