The International Cricket Council (ICC) is reportedly weighing significant changes aimed at revitalizing Test and One Day International (ODI) cricket to broaden the fanbase and increase fan engagement.
With T20 cricket becoming the buzz of the town, ICC is worried about the future of the longer formats of the game and is mulling over recommendations to stem the issue.
Among the most drastic proposals under consideration is the mandatory use of floodlights for all Test matches, which would signal the beginning of pink-ball cricket. The day/night tests have proven popular among the fanbases due to their unpredictable nature.
A signal towards the change may be hidden in the recently announced Ashes schedule with a Day/Night test also in the mix.
“The ICC committee believes that pink-ball Tests have brought more spectators into the stadiums. Recently, we saw very poor turnouts in Pakistan, but in India, three pink-ball Tests sold more tickets than usual. Test-playing nations should be encouraged to schedule more pink-ball matches,” an ICC source stated.
ICC is also considering changes to the structure of the World Test Championship.
Currently, the big three of Australia, England and India enjoy a more expansive schedule with 3-5 test series while teams like Pakistan, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh are offered orts of 2 or 3 matches at the max.
During the current WTC Cycle, England will play a total of 22 matches with Australia and India each playing 19.
This adjustment would aim to provide a fairer distribution of points and promote greater competitiveness in the championship.
Meanwhile, in ODI cricket, officials are considering a modification which would limit the use of the new ball to the first 25 overs, ensuring that the ball is older in the latter stages of the match, which could help reintroduce reverse swing and make spin bowling more effective.
ICC has reportedly already sent the word to all captains for their feedback on the rule changes with any modifications set to come into play during next cricketing cycles.
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