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Zimbabwe is all set to become the first country in the modern era to be paid a fee to tour for a bilateral series. With the African country set to tour England for a historic one-off Test, England Cricket Board (ECB) chief Richard Gould announced the same on Friday.
England haven't played a Test against The Chevrons since 2003, with the two teams doing so on English soil in a two-match series and the hosts emerging victorious. It will be a monumental occasion for especially the current generation of players, who have hardly tasted success at the international level.
Speaking to Michael Atherton from Sky Sports amid Day 1 of the 3rd Test between England and West Indies, Gould remarked that financially strong boards like ECB, BCCI, and Cricket Australia are responsible for keeping Test cricket alive. While Gould admitted that the accommodation part of the touring side is taken care of by the hosts, he said there will also be a fee.
"There's a huge responsibility. When you look at whether it's the revenue share from the ICC or indeed the revenue share from bilateral cricket, which is fairly old fashioned in truth in the way that it's delivered. For example, next year Zimbabwe are coming to tour [England]. Normally the way the things happen is that it's the touring team gets itself into the country and then it's looked after in terms of accommodation, all the rest of it. But there's no fee for that team that's touring. Next year when we play against Zimbabwe, there will be a fee for that team that's touring."
The health of Test cricket has been a talking point for a long time now, with experts touting that it could only be limited to five-six nations soon.
Recently, Cricket West Indies CEO Johnny Grave expressed concern at spending an enormous amount to send teams to Australia, but have hardly reaped any economic benefit.
Zimbabwe yet to beat England in a Test
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe haven't beaten England in a red-ball fixture, dating back to 1996 when the two teams played for the first time in Bulawayo. The Englishmen have won three tests out of six, while the remaining three have resulted in a draw.
It will be interesting to see if the Zimbabwean team can pose a strong challenge to England next year.
