Last Updated on 2 weeks by Charbel Coorey

The two-tier Test cricket structure has been a topic of conversation for a number of years, particularly with the rise of T20 cricket. It is no secret former England captain Michael Vaughan is a supporter of the concept.

“I’m a big advocate for two-division Test match cricket — two leagues of six and every two years one team will go down and one team will come up,” Vaughan said in December, as quoted by Fox Sports Australia.

Former India all-rounder Ravi Shastri is also a supporter. He believes the system is the way to keep Test cricket alive and thriving.

“I’ve been a firm believer in that if you want Test cricket to survive and be alive and thriving, I think that’s the way to go,” Shastri said on SEN during the fifth Test between Australia and India. “The top teams play against each other more often, so there is a contest; you want contests.”

They – and other supporters of the idea – may get their wish sooner rather than later. According to The Age, new ICC chairman Jay Shah will meet Australia chair Mike Baird and England Cricket Board chair Richard Thompson later this month to discuss the concept following the huge attendances and ratings in the 2024/25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Two-tier Test structure would be overkill

Let’s be real. “Two-tier” is the term they want you to hear. “Big 3” is the reality.

Under the two-tier Test structure, India, England and Australia can play each twice every three years instead of every four years. As an Australian, such a concept is extremely disappointing as more is not always better. Part of why the 2024/25 BGT was so successful is because it had a special feel to it. India hadn’t toured Australia for Tests in four years, so it was an event you didn’t want to miss. If they had toured two years ago, it wouldn’t have the same spark.

India, England, and Australia playing each other even more than they do now would be overkill. It would lose its charm. Too much of anything loses its value. It’s human nature.

Now to the current landscape. Shastri’s comments in particular come as a surprise. 2024 was one of Test cricket’s most memorable years, with a number of unpredictable results, perhaps none more so than New Zealand’s 3-0 triumph in India. Add to that West Indies’ Test win in Australia, Sri Lanka’s win in England, Bangladesh’s 2-0 series triumph in Pakistan, and Pakistan’s 2-1 win over England, and you have a great platform to market Test cricket.

Instead, cricket’s powerbrokers are at the mercy of broadcasters, and don’t wish to think of the future. Overkill can turn fans away, and broadcasters will suffer in the long run if that does indeed transpire.

Will an Australia-India series generate such buzz, attendances and ratings if they play every year? What would the Ashes be reduced to? Questions to consider.

ALSO READ: Test cricket needs more than the Ashes to survive

The implications of a two-tier Test system on other nations

The Age reports the top tier would feature Australia, England, India, South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Pakistan, while West Indies, Bangladesh, Ireland, Afghanistan and Zimbabwe would make up the second.

Spare a thought for the nations in the second division. It is already a fight as it is for Test cricket to be profitable. No matches against top teams for an extended period would be damaging. You wouldn’t blame those boards for casting Tests aside further, and the question then needs to be asked: what motivation would a youngster have to play Test cricket? Would Vaughan, Shastri and the two-tier supporters have an answer?

“I dare say the West Indies need to be invited to these geographies to play because a Test match in the West Indies today is a dead-rubber unless it’s against India, England or Australia where we get revenues from television,” said former West Indies Cricket president Whycliffe “Dave” Cameron back in 2020.

When this concept was talked about in 2016, then-BCCI president Anurag Thakur was on the money. “The BCCI is against the two-tier Test system because the smaller countries will lose out and the BCCI wants to take care of them. It is necessary to protect their interests,” he said.

“In the two-tier system, they will lose out on a lot, including revenue and the opportunity to play against top teams. We don’t want that to happen. We want to work in the best interests of world cricket and that is why our team plays against all the countries.”

Even those nations not named India, Australia and England in the first division would suffer. Because the three will play each other more, it means less opportunities for the others, and hence less revenue. The lower the revenue, the lower Test cricket sits on the priority list, and the more the format suffers.

Also, a two-tier Test structure would rob us of players making their name and performing brilliantly against higher-ranked nations. Less than a year ago, Shamar Joseph produced one of the all-time great performances on Australian soil. Later in 2024, Bangladesh fast bowler Nahid Rana had Pakistani batsmen hopping and jumping at Rawalpindi. Soon after, Mitch Santner enjoyed his finest hour in Tests as the Black Caps took down India in one of the all-time series upsets.

Plus, do we not want to see more of Kagiso Rabada having a crack at England or Australia? Or Will O’Rourke on an Australian pitch? World cricket has exciting talent to offer. Fans shouldn’t be robbed of seeing them taking on the best in the world more often.

Jay Shah’s reign as ICC chairman would be off to a poor start

Jay Shah has previously spoken of his desire to see Test cricket grow around the world. “While the T20 is a naturally exciting format, it is equally important that Test cricket remains a priority for everyone as it forms the bedrock of our game,” Shah is on record of saying. “We must see to it that cricketers are driven to longer format and our efforts will be channelised towards this goal.”

How exactly does a two-tier Test structure help the format remain a priority for everyone? How will cricketers be driven to play Tests? The move to this concept would go a long way to eliminating both and prove Shah’s doubters right.

One can hope other nations will oppose this structure and that it doesn’t go ahead. If it does, it will be an extremely sad and damaging time for this incredible and traditional format of the game.