5 Reasons why the World Test Championship should replace the Champions Trophy

From an Indian fan’s point of view, the Champions Trophy had the deserving fairy-tale end when Dhoni’s boys conquered yet another ICC event in 2013. Teams would thereafter shift their focus towards the longer format of the game and compete for the ultimate crown that the ICC had put in place – the World Test Championship.

As a prelude to the ICC’s novel idea, it must be noted that the World Test Championship was scheduled for 2013 as well. However, since financial problems within the ICC cropped up, the mega-tournament was canceled.

A sense of déjà vu loomed over the fate of the World Test Championship in 2017 as well. Quite as expected, the World Test Championship met yet another sorry end as its inaugural edition was put on the back burner. Therefore England and Wales were awarded the Champions Trophy for a second consecutive year as the 50-over tournament was reinstated for 2017.

Amid hollow promises and shattering hopes of ardent cricket fans, CricTracker makes an effort to weigh out the two tournaments which have been see-sawing for the last decade. Although the Champions Trophy made a back door entry on both occasions, we at CricTracker firmly believe it should be the World Test Championship which should prevail.

Here’s a look at the 5 reasons why the Test Championship should replace the Champions Trophy once and for all.

World Test Championship – Revival of Test Cricket

Cricket aficionados might shed a tear or two to see T20 cricket’s cheap gimmicks and ‘entertainment’ on a rampant spree. Some might have sufficient reason to think that the classical format of the game is being dethroned from its position of reverence and purity. Spectators throng stadiums with the sole intent to watch the big sixes and shake a leg in the stands. Test cricket, unfortunately, has now become boring – it is passé.

Although it might seem like a hasty generalization, the majority of cricket-loving youth are T20 oriented. This would have been the perfect opportunity for the ICC to step in and provide the much-needed boost for Test cricket. Without a doubt, Test matches have a whole new dimension of excitement spread over five days, something T20 cricket cannot fathom whatsoever. Establishing the World Test Championship would have rekindled the interest of fans who currently shirk T20 cricket, and simultaneously give youngsters a clear understanding of the richness that Test cricket withholds.

Involving more nations

The Champions Trophy restricts itself to just 8 teams, such is the format of a so-called ‘multi-nation’ tournament. On the other hand, the World Test Championship can have room for 10, and if associate nations are subsequently given Test status, then more. Many more teams would thus have a chance to showcase their talent. Moreover, proper Test cricketers, who only ply their skills in the longest format of the game, will have a much bigger role to play in uplifting their teams’ cricketing standards.

From a revenue point of view, some of the weaker Test-playing nations will receive a financial boost in hosting games and bilateral series. To the lay man’s eyes, it looks like a win-win situation for both the ICC as well its members.

World Cup – premier 50-over tournament

Third – and perhaps this is the most important point in the list – we already have the World Cup in place. It makes little sense to hold two 50-over tournaments of more or less the same format. The Champions Trophy was often dubbed the ‘Mini World Cup’. Now, why would any rational cricket fan settle for a ‘mini’ World Cup when he can simply follow the premier version of the 50-over tournament, moreover when a well-structured alternative is readily available?

As for the tournament’s format, the Champions Trophy is essentially the World Cup beginning directly from the Super Eight stage. It makes little sense to have two almost identical tournaments within a span of two years, solely because the ICC couldn’t rack their brains and find solutions towards setting up an innovative Test tournament.

Home away advantages

Under its current format, the Champions Trophy is awarded to one single nation, which obviously provides an advantage to the host nation. For instance, England will surely have the edge over the other participating teams in the 2017 edition.

The World Test Championship, on the other hand, will nullify any singular advantage for a particular team. As bilateral series’ will involve teams traveling to other countries, with the opposite scenario also probable, all teams will have an equal advantage under home conditions.Quite like the IPL, a given team will back itself to win every match in its own backyard, while an away win will be even more special. Furthermore, since the Test Championship was proposed to be played over a period of 4 years preceding the playoffs, it gives enough time for teams to play each other twice in both home and away series.

Quite like the IPL, a given team will back itself to win every match in its own backyard, while an away win will be even more special. Furthermore, since the Test Championship was proposed to be played over a period of 4 years preceding the playoffs, it gives enough time for teams to play each other twice in both home and away series.

Platform for new Test-playing nations

Last, but not the least, the World Test Championship would also be an excellent platform for the younger Test-playing nations to announce themselves to the world of cricket. Afghanistan, for instance, has already established itself as giant-killers in limited over cricket. Considering they are awarded Test status, it could do wonders to their players’ confidence levels of playing in the most testing conditions of the game.

Moreover, there’s a team like Bangladesh, who, in spite of having received Test status 10 years ago, very recently played their 100^th Test match, which incidentally they went on to win in fine fashion. Hence the World Test Championship could provide a platform for such teams where they perform on a more regular basis, thus demonstrating the range of talented players that exist in the country.