The future of cricket testing: key points of the World Trade Center in 2021

First World Test ChampionshipFrom now on, we will call it the World Trade Center, and at the end of June, New Zealanders will be the first country to engrave their names on the trophy.The World Trade Center is an active initiative of the World Trade Commission International Cricket Council Promote test cricket in the popularity of T20 and the rise of licensed cricket. In the next article, we will learn what works for WTC and which does not work. We will also propose some changes for the next version.

Inequality

The above table shows the points available for competition in WTC according to the duration of the series. In order to ensure the equality and fairness of the points structure, ICC allocates a maximum of 120 points for each series. However, this is not an ideal points structure because the two teams have different numbers of games. Therefore, each test has a different score.

For example, winning in two series will earn 60 points, while winning in three, four or five series will earn 40, 30, and 24 points, respectively. Therefore, this structure is beneficial to teams such as Sri Lanka, New Zealand, West Indies and Bangladesh, because they often play shorter series compared to the so-called Big Three.

The International Criminal Court recently decided to correct this by awarding equal points to all competitions at the next World Trade Center-every World Trade Center victory in 2021-23 will be awarded 12 points, regardless of how many games are played. Four points for a tie and six points for a tie. This seems to be a step in the right direction-especially since the International Criminal Court has confirmed that all nine major test countries will host three series in the next cycle and three away series.

Restructuring after the epidemic

The global pandemic caused chaos at the first World Trade Center. ICC decided to change the points structure to compensate for lost games. The series originally hoped to be postponed could be held at a certain stage, but due to the busy schedule, it was decided that this was impossible. The ICC then announced that the position of a team will be determined by the percentage of points they earn-this is calculated based on the number of points won and the total number of points available.

This puts Australia and India at the top of the list suddenly at a disadvantage. In addition, it seems unfair that some teams play more qualifying games at home than away because some series are completely cancelled. For example, New Zealand canceled the away series in Bangladesh; therefore, some teams played more series at home under favorable conditions, rather than on the tour under difficult conditions.

The team did not participate in the same number of games. For example, England played 21 games, while teams like Bangladesh only played 7 games. Obviously, the International Criminal Court cannot predict the damage caused by the pandemic, so it is hoped that no similar reorganization will be required in the next session.

Result-oriented approach

WTC was created to try to provide some background information for test cricket and to provide the team with motivation to win. This forced the field staff to prepare for “result pitching”, which could lead to an unforgettable 4th inning chase-at least in theory. Since 2000, 32% of test matches have ended in draws, but during the WTC, the percentage of draws has dropped to only 13%.

When you look at the highest total number of shots in the test match since 2000, and then compare these scores with the highest total number of shots in the WTC, you will find that the total number of shots during the WTC is much lower. This may be a positive development, because nothing kills test cricket more than five days of bat control and a series of holes.

However, a balance needs to be struck. No one wants the game to end in two or three days. What Test Cricket needs most is an equal game between the batter and the pitcher. I will introduce it in detail later…

Final format

This ICC World Trade Center Final Held from June 18th to 23rd, New Zealand is among the best. Some former cricket players, such as Ravi Shastri, Sachin Tendulkar and Krishnamachari Srikkanth, complained that the winner should be decided through three test series, as this would lead to more drama and give the team a chance to make a comeback. Virat Kohli responded to these exact sentiments after the final, although many people accused him of having sour grapes.However, it is clear that New Zealand have Enjoy the advantage. They gave them an excellent opportunity to adjust to the environment immediately before the series against England. On the other hand, India is uncooked.

Although the three-game final is a good thing for the cricket world, it will bring many logistical problems to the International Criminal Court. More importantly, the two participants in the test may have to find a month of free time in a busy schedule to make room. This is obviously difficult due to the different T20 leagues and bilateral series held all over the world. Of course, if testing cricket is a priority, that would be great. But is this a reality today?

Referrals and participants

The venue of the first World Trade Center is based on existing agreements between countries, which means that the International Criminal Court does not organize tours like they do for the World T20, World Cup or Championship trophies. Therefore, the stadium of the World Trade Center is planned by the management staff of the home stadium, and no neutral person intervenes. This means that the home team can adjust the pitch and use their advantages. This exacerbates home advantage and makes it more difficult for visitors-this is a long-standing problem that is not in the best interest of Test Cricket. ICC can solve this problem by appointing a neutral curator to oversee the next edition of the World Trade Center competition.

It is also disappointing not to see all 12 test countries participating in WTC. Countries such as Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, and Ireland could have allowed countries such as Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and the West Indies to fight for their own money. They may even cause strange uneasiness.

By not including these teams, ICC actually undermined their main goal of marketing and expanding cricket testing to new countries. Will opening the World Trade Center to everyone definitely increase its audience and make the sport more understandable and interesting?

Look to the future

Looking forward to the next WTC cycle, we hope to see the implementation of the following changes: all teams have the same number of games, all 12 test nations are involved, three series instead of one-off finals, plus the ideal two-team six The two-level structure of the human system, and the possibility of demotion and promotion.

Obviously, it is currently difficult to implement the latter. However, this should definitely be a wish. If there is a clear path to the elite level, all sports will develop more effectively.

At the same time, there is no doubt that the existing structure and tournaments of cricket will continue to inhibit the creation of perfect models. For example, how does a five-match test series like Ashes fit into the World Trade Center? No one wants to shorten “Ash” to three games. But the smaller countries do not currently have the resources to play a five-game series. Therefore, perfect symmetry remains elusive.

What adjustments will you make to the World Trade Center? What do you think its future will look like?

Rob Ostwick

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