Coronavirus pandemic has highlighted shortcomings of World Test Championship: Greg Barclay

YB WEB DESK. Dated: 12/1/2020 11:33:15 AM


New Delhi, Nov 30 Newly elected ICC Chairman Greg Barclay, on Monday, said that the premier season of the World Test Championship has not achieved what it had initially intended to leading to doubts over the future of the red-ball competition. Barclay added that the novel coronavirus-induced pandemic have highlighted the deficiencies of the Championship, which started on August 1 in 2019. "In short, I don''t think so (that the World Test Championship has been a boost to Test cricket). The COVID has probably highlighted its shortcomings of the championship. ...the issues that we have already got, I wonder whether some of it was because of an attempt to develop a Test Championship, clearly designed to drive interest back into Test cricket, provide a bit of context and relevance around the Test matches,” Barclay said as quoted by Cricbuzz. "From an idealist's point of view, probably it had a lot of merit but practically, I do disagree, I am not sure whether it has achieved what it intended to do.” Earlier this month, the ICC had announced a new points system in place to determine the final standings of the first edition of the World Test Championship. According to the new rule, participating teams will be ranked in order of percentage of points earned. "My personal view is let's get through with the little bit that we can in this COVID-19, with reallocation of points and all that..but once we have done that, let''s go back to the drawing board as I am not quite sure whether it (WTC) entirely fits the purpose and has achieved what it intended to after being conceptualised four to five years back,” Barclay added. "I think we need to look at it in the context of calendar and not put cricketers in a situation where it's a lot worse and not going to help us." While the BCCI, the England and Wales Cricket Board and also Cricket Australia, to some extent, have recovered their finances in the current pandemic situation, some boards have faced a lot of economic issues. Barclay believes this could further hurt the feasibility of the World Test Championship. "I think there would be some countries. It is difficult for some of the full members as they simply can''t afford to play Test cricket," he said. "Test cricket has got its legacy and I am a purist but I do accept that as much as I want to keep it as it is, less and less countries.

 

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