My idea for a multi-tier test system.

[nik]

i really want this tier system to go ahead, it is really good and develops teams

 

[J.Coney]

There can be more to a draw than simply not playing to win. Furthermore, what is a tie worth?

then why did rugby league add extra time if there is drawn match in the 80 minute period. no team should be rewarded points for a draw it's a slap to the face of the whole meaning of a competetion. oh they spent five days out there and no team wanted to win. :sleep
sometimes to win you have to risk it that means declair and leave them 120 runs to win. then so be it.

 

[angryangy]

Rugby doesn't stop for rain.

 

[nik]

i think more indoor stadiums in cricket should be used, so that if it rains u can close the roof and play!

 

[sohum]

Yeah maybe we should build them before we use them. It is freakin expensive to build indoor stadiums with any sort of capacity. There are so many factors to control. If you're building an indoor stadium, think about how the conditions inside will vary. It will become super-humid. Then you'd prefer to build a retractable roof which would cost even more money.

As for cricket matches and draws, sometimes a draw is the only option. And drawn matches can also be very interesting...for example the Sydney test in the Border-Gavaskar trophy in Australia. And sometimes draws cannot be avoided for example in weather-affected matches. I think draws should stand as they are. We should not try to completely overhaul cricket - just try to fine-tune it.

 

[nik]

well, i wish cardiff mellenium stadium had a grass wicket! well, i do suppose it is a football ground even though sum charity matches have been held there!

 

[MWaugh]

this teir system has some merit. i dont think anyone could honestly believe that bangladesh and zimbabwe warrant staying in the test nation status. but the teir system involving possibly new zealand and the west indies has no merit at all. i see pakistan, who got absolutly blitzed by australia only a couple of weeks ago, remain in the top teir while new zealand, and the west indies with one of the greatest batsmen to ever play (lara) are demoted to playing 4 day matches against also rans. i dont see how that even begins to make sense

 

[sachinisgod]

man you cannot start judging teams on the basis of single players...if that were the case India should be immortal on the basis of just three names - Sachin, Sunny and Kapil...but the teams they played in played badly and so is the case with Lara...also take aussies - Trumper, Sir Don, Benaud, Chappells, Border, Taylor, Waughs, Gilchrist, Ponting, Clarke(hopefully)...don't u think they'll ever weaken as a team?

and comparing Pakistan(5 losses including an offshore victory and three wins of last 9 matches) with WI (7 losses of last 8) and NZ (5 out of last 6) doesn't make much sense...I would back Pak with Inzy, YY, Y.Khan , Sami and Kaneria firing anytime over WI with only the greatman in form...so the system in my opinion is sound enough...let the worst old test nations play the "also rans" rather than getting more and more embarassed against the better old test nations...how many though is a pretty tough question...

 

[MWaugh]

i agree with the fact that the west indies have one player and new zealand have been struggling alot. however i just dont think that placing them to play zimbabwe and bangladesh is the answer. what i would look at doing would be to relegate zimbabwe and bangladesh into a test match pool including kenya scotland uae usa and the struggling emerging nations. make them earn their place in the top arena by being consistent. they can then be tested against the likes of the windies, new zealand, pakistan etc etc. i personally think that if you dropped the windies and nz that the history of cricket would take a beating. think of the rivalry between australia and both these nations, you would loose the interest in the frank warrel trophy and also whatever we play the kiwis for. however i agree that bangladesh and zimbabwe dont deserve test status

 

[andrew_nixon]

this teir system has some merit. i dont think anyone could honestly believe that bangladesh and zimbabwe warrant staying in the test nation status. but the teir system involving possibly new zealand and the west indies has no merit at all. i see pakistan, who got absolutly blitzed by australia only a couple of weeks ago, remain in the top teir while new zealand, and the west indies with one of the greatest batsmen to ever play (lara) are demoted to playing 4 day matches against also rans. i dont see how that even begins to make sense

I based the top 2 tiers on current ICC Rankings.

And as I have said, there would be nothing to stop New Zealand and West Indies playing test matches against the top tier teams. No history of cricket is being lost by doing that.

 

[angryangy]

And Zimbabwe had Andy Flower for God knows how long, but that didn't stop anyone complaining about how crap they were.

 

[ZoraxDoom]

And Zimbabwe had Andy Flower for God knows how long, but that didn't stop anyone complaining about how crap they were.

Dont forget Heath Streak and now Tatenda Taibu....

 

[nik]

the present Zimbabwe r so weak they could be knocked out in the 1st round of the ICC trophy! (the minnow cup not champions trophy)

 

[sachinisgod]

i think zimbabwe played good cricket in Bangladesh...they are clearly suffering from policies and a very small pool of players...but Taibu and Chigumbura are really good players...

and mwaugh its not that we wanna keep those teams(wi and nz) permanently in that tier...eventually they'll be in a position to be promoted to the top tier and some other team may be relegated...a bit like the county championship in UK...

 

[andrew_nixon]

and mwaugh its not that we wanna keep those teams(wi and nz) permanently in that tier...eventually they'll be in a position to be promoted to the top tier and some other team may be relegated...a bit like the county championship in UK...

And they would still be free to play Tests against top tier teams. This is something people seem to be missing about my system.