The future of Test cricket is always a hotly debated topic in the sport.

This has been the case ever since the Indian Premier League began a surge in T20 franchise competitions in 2008.

The tournament has become a huge event, with other white-ball competitions popping up around the world, including the Big Bash, The Hundred, Pakistan Super League and SA20.

This leaves Test cricket in constant debate about how to maintain the purest form of the game in order to win eyeballs, stay relevant and even retain players.

Latest reports from Australian newspaper The Melbourne Times It is suggested that ICC President Jay Shah will soon meet with his British and Australian counterparts to discuss a potential two-tier system.

This could result in England, Australia, India, South Africa, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and New Zealand forming the seven-team top flight, with the other Test nations – West Indies, Bangladesh, Ireland, Afghanistan and Zimbabwe – moving into the second tier.

In this case, this will not happen until the end of the future tour program and the next World Test Championship cycle in mid-2027. Major series are likely to be played more frequently, with two Ashes matches every three years instead of the current two-four.

Atherton: I can accept zoning, but not grades

In this sense, the appeal of two floors is obvious, but sky sports cricket Expert and former England captain Michael Atherton said any new structure must allow movement between leagues rather than create an “entrenched elite”.

he told Sky Sports Cricket Podcast: “Level and level are two different things. At least for me, level means opportunities for promotion and relegation. I’m happy with that.

“But I would object to people at the bottom not having a chance to get to the top and become entrenched elites.”

In 2016, India rejected a proposal to create two tiers in Test cricket over concerns it would further widen the gap between the best-performing teams in the format and the rest.

This is certainly becoming an issue again now as interest in playing Test cricket from second division players may wane, certainly if there is no chance of promotion.

Lloyd: Only by playing your best can you improve

Sir Clive Lloyd, who captained West Indies during their golden days in the 1970s and 1980s, is “uneasy” with the idea of ​​a two-tier format and wants struggling Test nations to challenge themselves more often , against the best teams.

He said: “I think it will be terrible for all those countries that struggled to qualify for the Test. Now they will be competing against each other in the lower sections.

“How do they get to the top? When you play against better teams. That’s how you know how good you are, or how bad you are. I was very disturbed.

“A better system would be to give teams the same amount of money so they have access to improved tools.

“We went through a lot of struggles and we needed special dispensations. Some at the bottom did not play Test matches and others were in the Test match world. The system was not right.

“They have to sit down and figure it out, that’s what they’re there for. That’s their duty, that’s their job.”

“We (West Indies) have been a cash cow for many countries over the years… people have to realize that. But we are now in a situation where we need help and we can’t get it.”

Hussain: Test cricket has been fantastic recently

West Indies are currently eighth in the ICC Test rankings and have won just three of their last 17 matches – against Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and Australia.

That win against Australia in Brisbane in January 2024 was a thrilling one, with fast bowler Shamar Joseph taking seven wickets due to a toe injury and the tourists finishing with eight runs Advantage wins.

Test cricket begins here, including Sri Lanka beating England at the Kia Oval, New Zealand defeating India at home for the first time since 2012, and Australia and India engaging in an intriguing Border-Gavaskar Trophy series A record crowd of 373,691 people attended the game, with spectators at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground throughout the five-day Boxing Day Test.

sky sports’ Nasser Hussain said: “Am I just naive? I watched Test cricket this year and it was absolutely brilliant and a huge box office draw.”

“Some of the cricket, some of the crowds and some of the games have been unbelievable.

“Why do people keep saying this is a difficult product to sell? I’m watching great Test cricket and people are saying this is not a product for the future.”

But Australia’s success against India, and the money series between the two nations and England, may convince decision-makers that best versus the best is the way to go.

Get rid of “chaos”?

This is certainly the direction former England captain Michael Vaughan sees the game heading, as he writes in telegraph: “I’ve been saying for a long time that the way to keep Test cricket relevant is to make sure we reduce false matches.

“I believe it is a four-day product with a certain number of rotations being carried out each day, with a minimum of three games per series, divided into two divisions of six games each, including promotion and relegation.”

Former India player and head coach Ravi Shastri joins Mori Radio After his country’s Test series in Australia, which the home team won 3-1: “This is a loud reminder to the International Cricket Federation that the best players should play their best to get There would have been too much chaos for Test cricket to survive.”

There’s also an argument to be made that it’s more enjoyable for lower-ranked countries to compete against each other and have a greater chance of winning than to take victory from the elite.

Despite its critics, the Football League of Nations has seen some teams compete to a more equal standard, with the likes of San Marino and Gibraltar – previously perennially battered by countries including England – getting rare victory.

Two-tier Test cricket might be acceptable for Afghanistan and Ireland’s teams in the latest format – provided, of course, promotion is still possible.

Ireland have won their first two Test matches, beating Afghanistan by six points in the UAE and Zimbabwe by four points in Belfast, after losing two of seven consecutive games in the format. They lost three games to England and two games to Sri Lanka.

“Test cricket will never be more than a six-seven-nation format”

For former South Africa captain Graeme Smith, Test cricket will always have fewer elite teams compared to T20, but he believes the sport’s longest format can keep things healthy.

“For me, Test cricket will never be more than a six- or seven-nation format,” Smith told reporters. Sky Sports Cricket Podcast.

“It will never grow to eight, nine, 10, 11, 12 teams like T20, so I think more efforts should be made to ensure that there are bilateral plans for Test cricket.

“If you can keep six or seven countries strong, people will keep paying attention. If a good team comes to South Africa, we’ll see huge crowds and interest in Test cricket.”

However, he did add: “World cricket needs South Africa to be strong, it needs West Indies to be strong, it needs Sri Lanka to be better.”

However, how best to keep them strong is a question that those responsible will want to factor into their thinking if discussions about a two-tier system do occur.

Another factor will be the India-Pakistan match, with the two countries currently not playing each other outside of ICC events due to political tensions.

Even in those games, India will not play in Pakistan and vice versa until at least 2027, with touring teams using neutral venues.

For example, when Pakistan hosts the International ICC Champions Trophy in February and March, India will play in Dubai.

Watch ICC Champions Trophy Live sky sports Starting February 19th. England’s first game will be against Australia on February 22.