First Test championship may be in 2013

ICC plans to use current rankings for playoff spots.

MELBOURNE: The International Cricket Council (ICC) is eying June 2013 for the inaugural Test World Championship and will use current rankings to decide the four playoff spots, according to its chief executive Haroon Lorgat.

Test cricket currently has a rankings system but no tournament to determine the top nation. The ICC has proposed a quadrennial tournament with the four best-performing nations to meet in semi-finals before playing off for the world title in a bid to boost flagging interest in Tests.

“I think the first possible opportunity for us to have a playoff is in 2013 which means that the current rankings table would need to be used,” said Lorgat. “For example, right now Australia would be struggling to qualify for the playoffs. But there may be another scenario with somebody else would also be in the frame depending on this result they might slip in.”

Lorgat was speaking on the sidelines of the third day of the second Ashes test between Australia, ranked fifth in the current test standings, and fourth-placed England. “Going forward we’re looking at a league table that would be worked on points and for match winnings,” said Lorgat, but details on how to treat draws are yet to be decided.

Lorgat also confirmed the 2015 One-Day International World Cup to be held in Australia and New Zealand would be stripped from 14 teams to 10, while the biennial Twenty20 World Cup tournament would be expanded from 12 to 16.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 6^th, 2010.