ICC chief warns about less Test cricket in the near future

While the crowd at Lord’s enjoyed a classic day of Test cricket as New Zealand batters showed impeccable temperament with the bat against England on the 2nd day of the ongoing 1st Test, ICC chief Greg Barclay, who was in attendance, has cautioned that the number of matches in the longest format might reduce in the near future.

Barclay, who will complete his two-year term in December this year, has cast doubts over the volume of Test cricket in coming years due to the emergence of domestic franchise leagues. The New Zealander revealed that it has become increasingly difficult to squeeze bilateral series between Test cricket and franchise leagues.

“The growth of domestic leagues are forcing things from the bottom and … what is getting squeezed is bilateral cricket, and so we are trying to fit everything in,” Barclay told the BBC’s Test Match Special.

“There will be some unfortunate consequences from a playing experience and a revenue point of view for some of those countries who won’t get the amount of cricket they might hope to have and they won’t get exposure, particularly against India and to a lesser extent Australia and England. So we will see a squeeze. In 10-15 years’ time, I still see Test cricket being an integral part (of the game) – it may be that there is less of it,” the ICC chief added.

White-ball cricket, short-form cricket, is the way of the future, says Barclay

The ICC chief said that the smaller nations will more likely get a reduced number of Test cricket while the big three nations, India, England, and Australia, will remain mostly unaffected. The New Zealander also remarked that it’s the shortest format of the game that is attracting the fans and money to the cricket and it will be the dominant force in the game in the future with even the broadcasters more interested in shorter forms of the sport.

“Some countries may have to make room and play less Test cricket. Some of the smaller full members will have to accept that they can’t play the amount of Test cricket that they wanted to, so we may see a lessening of that – four or five a year – whereas England, Australia, and India, I think, will be playing Test cricket as they are now.

“If you look at strategically the way that cricket is going, there’s no doubt that white-ball cricket, short-form cricket, is the way of the future. That’s the game that’s sought after by fans, that’s where the broadcasters are putting their resource, it’s what’s driving the money,” Barclay further said.