Last Updated on 8 months ago by Charbel Coorey
Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg has warned that the future of Test cricket is in jeopardy unless the game’s longest format is restructured to focus on fewer, financially sustainable contests.
As the Ashes series approaches, Greenberg said forcing all cricketing nations to play five-day Tests risks crippling boards with limited resources. “We’re trying to send countries bankrupt by forcing them into a model they can’t afford,” he said, adding that Test cricket should be preserved for contexts that carry history, meaning and financial viability.
Todd Greenberg believes financial strength is key to Test cricket being played around the world
Greenberg, who took over the top role in March, argued that the Ashes remains “enormous and profitable” because of its tradition and competitiveness, but warned that trying to replicate that level of engagement for every bilateral Test series is unrealistic. He suggested the sport’s administrators may need to accept fewer Test-playing nations to protect the quality and sustainability of the format.
“I don’t think everyone in world cricket needs to aspire to play Test cricket, and that might be OK,” Greenberg said on Wednesday, as quoted by ABC News.
“A lot of traditionalists might not like that. I’m not suggesting I know the number that will play, but literally we’re trying to send countries bankrupt if we force them to try to play Test cricket.
“We need to make sure we invest in the right spaces to play Test cricket where it means something, and has jeopardy, and that’s why the Ashes will be as enormous and as profitable as it is because it means something.”
The rise of lucrative T20 and ODI competitions, including global franchise leagues, has further reduced the space for Test matches in the calendar. Greenberg said these shorter formats are drawing away top players and audiences, creating additional pressure on the viability of Tests.
According to a the CricBlog future of Test cricket survey, over half of the 2,000+ respondents said they are in favour of a two-division Test system provided there is promotion and relegation. Whether that eventuates remains to be seen given the state of Test cricket around the world plus the England and Wales Cricket Board’s reluctance due to the possibility of relegation.
