New T20 leagues and ventures like T10 cricket are likely to find it tougher to get sanctions from the International Cricket Council in the future, while Test minnows like Afghanistan and Ireland can expect to play four-day Tests.
ICC general manager Geoff Allardice made the revelations during an interaction with media at the Dubai Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.
The 2016 Masters Champions League in the UAE folded after just one season, following serious financial troubles resulted in players not getting paid. The T10 edition in Sharjah also came under the scanner after some questions were raised about its viability.
While the 10-over competition has ICC’s approval and is set to return later this year in the UAE, Allardice said in future, such ventures will find it tougher to get the go ahead from cricket’s ruling body.
“One of the things we are talking about is the sanctioning of events and release of players. (ICC) Look at documentation and ownership structures and how the league is going to be funded and then provide approval,” Allardice said on Wednesday.
“How it rolls out after that is in the hands of the owners. What happens next time is if there is dissatisfaction among players, players won’t go back and the future of the league is in jeopardy. If we (ICC) get reports that that sort a thing happens, the likelihood of sanctioning the second edition is significantly reduced,” the 51-year-old said.
“The hurdles to jump for a promoter to put on a league are going to be higher. The vetting process by hosts and the ICC will be enhanced.
“It is a balance as league can be good vehicles. There was a tournament in Canada (Global T20 Canada), there is not a lot of league cricket in Canada. So that could be a good step. But the league has to be good for the game, the players must be looked after and there must be some legacy for cricket in the country. It’s not going to be an open door for any promoter to come in. It’s going to be harder to get sanctions in the future.”
David Warner featured in the Global T20 Canada.
FOUR-DAY TESTS
The other big issue in the game is the fate of Test cricket with four-day matches being suggested as a possible next step. South Africa played Zimbabwe in a four-day Test last year that ended in two days.
Allardice said that while it is an attractive option, the newly-formed World Test Championship (beginning in 2019) will continue to be a five-day affair while matches between ‘main’ teams and new entrants like Afghanistan and Ireland outside the Championship can be four-day affairs.
“In terms of Test cricket moving forward, all matches of the World Test Championship are scheduled over five days,” the former Victoria first-class cricketer added.
“At the moment, (it’s about) trying to get opportunities for Ireland, Afghanistan and Zimbabwe in Test cricket against teams that are in the Test championship, from a fixturing point of view that works out better over four days than five.”
Allardice, however, doesn’t think four-day Tests will devalue the game as it is not a new concept.
“In terms of devaluing the game, regular five-day Tests is a relatively recent thing. If you go to the 1970s, New Zealand were playing mostly four-day Test matches. You talk of devaluing Test cricket, there is a lot of history that wasn’t based around the five-day game. The percentage was reasonable, we had rest days in the past. The game has evolved. We should not see in a narrow snapshot of time.”
