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Former England captain Michael Vaughan has been among the most vocal on steps to make Test cricket a better product. The latter stages of the recent England-Sri Lanka Lord's Test and the Pakistan-Bangladesh Test series were examples of the dying product that is Test cricket.
In the wake of franchise T20 cricket leagues and bi-annual World Cups taking over the sport, interest in the five-day format has been dwindling among the current generation of fans.
In his column for the Telegraph, Vaughan wrote:
"Administrators have been slow to pick up on that this summer. We saw thousands of empty seats at Lord’s last Sunday. MCC have recognised that they got that very wrong, and failed to read the room on what the right price would be for a game against Sri Lanka in September. The Oval is unlikely to be much better on day four, and their job is even harder as it’s a Friday start in school term time with the weather getting worse."
He added:
"I hope this summer is a bit of a wake-up call for all lovers of Test cricket in England. I hope we keep talking about these issues. But, let’s be honest, we’ve been here before. We’ve had poor crowds towards the end of games against weaker opponents, and we’ve bemoaned the situation. But then the following summer, India and Australia are in town, the grounds are packed with tickets going for top dollar. And we move on."
Furthermore, Michael Vaughan listed five points that could help Test cricket's survival if implemented as follows:
#1 Promotion-Relegation method to avoid mismatches
Michael Vaughan's first point revolved around having two divisions of six teams each based on pedigree to avoid mismatches.
"The first thing I would do is look at two divisions of six for Test cricket. Right now, there are too many mismatched games between teams that have wildly different resources, pathways and preparation. The best Test match in these parts this summer was Ireland against Zimbabwe in Northern Ireland, because they were two well-matched teams and it was competitive," wrote Vaughan.
He added:
"Obviously, it would not be ideal for teams in the second division, but I would have promotion and relegation every two years, at the same time you crown a Test champion. That would provide incentives to play, as would the proposed ICC fund to help raise match fees."
England's County Championship has been running through the tiered method for several years, with the top two teams from Division Two replacing the bottom two from Division One every year.
#2 ICC fund sharing
Vaughan feels a more even spreading of the ICC funds among Test nations could help the development of players worldwide instead of only from the big teams - India, England, and Australia.
"If ICC funds were shared more equally, pathways could be put in place for the development of top-class players. At the minute, England have great pathways, so do India and Australia. The likes of Sri Lanka and West Indies are relying on raw talent, which they still have plenty of, but that can only get you so far," wrote Vaughan.
Financial issues have hamstrung several boards like the West Indies and Sri Lanka, resulting in the players relying on their talent rather than being groomed as well-oiled machines with strong systems in place.
#3 Test-only windows
Modern-day cricket often sees a franchise-based T20 tournament running elsewhere in parallel to a Test match being played elsewhere. This affects the viewership and the attraction of Tests with most of the younger audience preferring the fast-paced and less time-consuming T20 action.
"I would book three one-month windows into the schedule, where there’s no franchise cricket, so Test cricket is the only show in town. Hopefully, that would persuade a few players to keep playing Test cricket rather than just sticking to franchise stuff year-round. In those windows, I’d have all the teams playing at the same time. Possibly, towards the end of a cycle, that could mean everyone playing concurrently in the same country, or on the same continent," wrote Vaughan.
Vaughan pointed to the thrilling India-England and Australia-West Indies Hyderabad and Brisbane Tests happening parallelly on opposite ends of the globe earlier this year as a prime example of Test cricket's pinnacle.
#4 Modifications with four-day Tests and pink-ball changes
Vaughan went the innovative route with the playing conditions of a Test match, calling for a change from five to four days with 96 overs per day. He also wanted stricter fines for slow over rate to make the action more riveting and ensure the allotted overs were bowled.
"There are smaller changes I’d make. I wouldn’t be afraid to use four-day Tests where required, with 96 overs per day. And if teams are struggling to bowl their overs, fine them with runs, and make them stay out there until it’s done," Vaughan wrote.
He also wanted the match officials to use a pink ball in the event of bad light, keeping in mind the spectators on the ground and not only the players.
"If bad light kicks in, change to a pink ball. We see the red ball changed regularly now, so why not change to a pink ball of similar age? It seems to me that the game is far too keen to stop playing, and that all decisions are made with players in mind, not the paying spectator," elaborated Vaughan.
Too many Test match days have often ended abruptly due to bad light and the lack of visibility of the red ball.
#5 Phasing out bilateral white-ball series
Michael Vaughan feels scrapping white-ball bilateral series gradually except for the World Cups and the tournament build-up period could help all formats co-exist.
"I’d look at phasing out bilateral white-ball cricket outside of World Cups and the period just before. Every country wants a top-class franchise competition as a cash cow, but I don’t see how this can co-exist with a healthy bilateral schedule. Just look at the fact that England now play white-ball games deep into September," wrote Vaughan.
It remains to be seen if the ICC's newly appointed chairman Jay Shah can work magic and bring Test cricket back to its glory days.
