Last Updated on 2 months by Charbel Coorey
Over 2,000 fans have had their say in the CricBlog future of Test cricket fan survey. 2,013 fans kindly took the time to provide their answers, with some interesting insights into Test cricket’s biggest talking points.
Below are the results, with an overwhelming 87.9% of respondents stating that Test cricket is their favourite format. Here is what the survey covered:
- Four-day Tests.
- Two-tier Test system.
- Changes to the current World Test Championship (WTC) format.
- How the ICC can encourage more players around the world to play Tests.
- The number of nations playing Test cricket in 2030.
- Plus, whether the toss should stay or go.
Future of Test cricket survey: Insights on two-tier system, 4-day Tests, WTC structure and more
Two-tier Test system
The two-tier system is arguably the biggest topic in Test cricket right now. Here’s what fans think:
- 55.1% are in favour of two-tier only if there is promotion and relegation.
- 10.9% are in favour of the move regardless whether there is promotion and relegation.
- 34% are against the move entirely.
Here is a split by nation in the survey results:
| Supported nation | Yes, only if there is promotion and relegation | Yes, regardless whether there is promotion | No to two-tier Test cricket |
| India | 56.25% | 13.84% | 29.46% |
| Australia | 56.88% | 8.13% | 35% |
| England | 51.61% | 7.26% | 41.13% |
| South Africa | 57.99% | 7.10% | 34.91% |
| Others, including WI, NZ, PAK, USA, NEP, AFG, ZIM, SL, BAN, IRE | 65.91% | 8.33% | 27.27% |
Whether there will be promotion and relegation system is currently up in the air. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is not keen on a two-tier system as relegation would mean not being in the same division as Australia and India.
“There’s a lot of options that we’ve got to look at – tiers would be one of them,” said ECB chairman Richard Thompson on BBC’s Test Match Special, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
“We wouldn’t want, as England, we may go through a fallow period, and that means, what, we fall into Division Two and we don’t play Australia and India? That couldn’t happen. There has to be a sense that common sense needs to play out here.”
Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg said the big three have a responsibility to protect other nations.
Speaking on SEN Radio, Greenberg said, “My open mind [to a two-tier system] is in reference to, if it helps grow the opportunities for those other countries to be stronger, and have better resources in Test match cricket, if it does that, then I’m open for it,” he said, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
“But if it doesn’t achieve that, and it actually affects the opposite, then I wouldn’t be supportive.”
Four-day Tests
The likes of Michael Vaughan are in favour of four-day Tests. In late 2024, the former England captain said, “I believe four-day cricket would be easier to schedule. It’d be easy for everyone to understand that cricket starts every Thursday when we’re playing the Test match game and it finishes on a Sunday … if it makes it,” he told SEN Radio.
“Let’s be honest, the way that the players go out and play their business now, they don’t play like I used to play or some of the teams back in the 80s and 90s played. They’re playing a brand of cricket which is pretty much to try and win as quick as they possibly can and put the opposition under pressure.
“I genuinely believe that the administrators need to seriously consider if it’s time.”
However, the majority of fans who completed this survey are not in favour of the move. 72.6% are against four-day Tests, while only 10.8% believe all Tests should be four days. The remaining 16.6% believe only Tests involving the “big three” should be five days.
Here is a split by nation in the survey results:
| Supported nation | Yes to 4 day Tests | Yes but only matches with the “big 3” should be 5 days | No to 4 day Tests |
| India | 7.74% | 20.68% | 77.31% |
| Australia | 10.63% | 18.75% | 70.63% |
| England | 5.65% | 20.97% | 73.39% |
| South Africa | 18.93% | 5.32% | 76.33% |
| Others, including WI, NZ, PAK, USA, NEP, AFG, ZIM, SL, BAN, IRE | 20.45% | 9.09% | 69.70% |
Current World Test Championship format
Fans are in favour of improvements being made to the current World Test Championship (WTC) format. An overwhelming 81.4% of respondents believe there needs to be a more equal share of matches played between all teams.
In the 2023-25 cycle, England (22), Australia (19) and India (19) played a far greater number of matches than New Zealand (14), Pakistan (14), West Indies (13), Sri Lanka (13), South Africa (12) and Bangladesh (12).
Other findings from this survey include:
- 54.9% believe there should be bonus points for away wins.
- 25.2% are in favour of the cycle being four years instead of two.
- 24.1% wish to see more lenient penalties or the complete removal of docked points for slow over rates.
- 7.8% are happy with how the WTC format is currently.
Here is a split by nation in the survey results:
| Supported nation | More equal share of matches | Bonus points for away wins | Change cycle to 4 years | Less penalties for over rates | No changes |
| India | 78.72% | 61.16% | 25.30% | 23.51% | 8.33% |
| Australia | 77.50% | 50% | 30% | 29.38% | 10.63% |
| England | 84.68% | 52.42% | 33.87% | 35.48% | 4.84% |
| South Africa | 90.53% | 47.34% | 25.44% | 14.20% | 5.32% |
| Others, including WI, NZ, PAK, USA, NEP, AFG, ZIM, SL, BAN, IRE | 87.88% | 50% | 25.76% | 22.72% | 3.79% |
We also offered an open-ended answer to this question, where fans had the opportunity to share some additional thoughts on the WTC format. Some of the suggestions include:
- More points if the win comes against a higher-ranked team.
- Equal spread of matches against teams ranked in the top three, middle three and bottom three depending on rankings at the start of the cycle.
- Including Ireland and Afghanistan in the WTC.
- Minimum three matches in each WTC series.
- The final should be a three-Test series.
- Top three should qualify to the next round where second and third go head-to-head in a playoff for a spot in the final against the team who finishes first.
- Final should be hosted by whoever finishes top of the table.
- Two-group system with six teams in each group.
How the ICC can encourage more players around the world to play Tests
The rise of T20 leagues and lucrative financial opportunities are a clear threat to Test cricket. Fans believe more should be done by the ICC to ensure the longest format survives around the world. Here are some of the key findings from the survey:
- 71.7% of fans believe there should be a more organised calendar with set windows for Tests.
- 64% believe the ICC should adjust their revenue model so more funds go to smaller nations.
- 39.1% said there should be a central fund for player payments on top of their match payments.
Here is a split by nation in the survey results:
| Supported nation | Organised calendar: windows for Tests | Adjust IC revenue: More funds to smaller nations | Central fund for player payments on top of their match payments |
| India | 71.43% | 59.22% | 35.42% |
| Australia | 71.3% | 66.25% | 45% |
| England | 66.13% | 70.91% | 38.71% |
| South Africa | 79.29% | 70.41% | 43.79% |
| Others, including WI, NZ, PAK, USA, NEP, AFG, ZIM, SL, BAN, IRE | 68.94% | 75.76% | 46.97% |
This was another question which had an open-ended option, and fans provided some additional feedback. A common suggestion was that every ICC-sanctioned T20 league should contribute a certain percentage to a pool that can help fund Test cricket globally.
How many countries will be playing Test cricket by 2030? Plus, should the toss remain?
A report in the Sydney Morning Herald in 2024 stated that Test cricket may be played by six nations in 2030. 44% believe this is a realistic possibility, while 30.1% believe it won’t happen. The remaining 25.8% were unsure.
Here is a split by nation in the survey results:
| Supported nation | Yes, six nations by 2030 | No | Not sure |
| India | 44.94% | 29.32% | 25.60% |
| Australia | 51.25% | 28.75% | 20% |
| England | 44.35% | 26.61% | 29.03% |
| South Africa | 42.01% | 25.44% | 32.54% |
| Others, including WI, NZ, PAK, USA, NEP, AFG, ZIM, SL, BAN, IRE | 45.45% | 31.82% | 21.97% |
Also, 82.5% of respondents are in favour of the coin toss staying as it is now. The remaining 17.5% believe the away team should decided whether they want to bat or bowl first.
What about white-ball internationals?
We also asked fans if they support the idea of removing one format of white-ball internationals to allow for more space in the calendar in Tests. 64.2% said no, 19.4% said remove T20Is, and 16.4% said remove ODIs.
Here is a split by nation in the survey results:
| Supported nation | Keep ODIs & T20Is | Remove ODIs | Remove T20Is |
| India | 71.26% | 13.84% | 14.43% |
| Australia | 53.75% | 18.75% | 27.50% |
| England | 58.06% | 21.77% | 20.16% |
| South Africa | 53.25% | 21.89% | 24.85% |
| Others, including WI, NZ, PAK, USA, NEP, AFG, ZIM, SL, BAN, IRE | 63.63% | 13.63% | 21.97% |
A big thank you to all fans who shared and participated in this survey. For more information on this survey, feel free to contact me at charbelcoorey@cricblog.net.
