Proposed two-tier system can't preserve Test cricket: Joel Garner

West Indies team manager, Joel Garner said that he doesn’t feel that the two-tier system will be good for Test cricket. The two-tier Test structure was proposed by the ICC which was to conduct league system in Test cricket in order to make the conventional format of the game more popular.

The proposed structure is that the top cricketing nations will be divided into two divisions and the top seven Test nations will compete in division one for the title of world Test championship. However, Garner pointed out that the lower ranked team is not getting an opportunity to progress to the main division as they will only be playing against the lower ranked teams.

“Well, I wish them luck if they want cricket to remain with the big three or big four. The only way you can get into the two-tier system is by playing against teams that are above you on the table. How can you get in if you can’t play teams that are above you? The question is, what purpose does it serve? Are you trying to preserve Test cricket or are you trying to keep it to a chosen few?” he raised a valid question.

“I can’t answer this question for you because the only way you can preserve Test cricket is to let people at the lower level play against teams above them to be able to compete and to be able to gauge the progress,” the 63-year-old added.

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Speaking about the below par performances of the West Indies team in Test cricket, he said, “What you see is what we have at the regional level, what we put at the international level. But if we are serious about our cricket then we have to be serious about the developmental stage.”

He said that the problem is with the hard work as most of them doesn’t work hard as much as what they need to. “The problem is they don’t work hard enough. If every player is prepared to work as hard as they need to, we can reach the top of world cricket.”

He also pointed that they need to be patient as Windies Test team is a young squad, as if they work hard over the years they will bring success for the Windies team. “If you look at the Indian team, the number of games they have played and the number of games West Indian fast bowlers have – there is a vast difference. Even though your bowlers might be new, they have got some experience. We have got fellas who are in the early 20s and who would be playing for 2-3 years. All we can do is to keep working with them.”

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He also lamented that spending time at the crease is as good as any for a batsman, and that is what they have to work on. “The longer they bat in the middle, the easier it becomes to bat. That is something I would like them to do, not only batting long but bat effectively,” he signed-off.