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Ranatunga Warns Against Two-Tier Test Cricket, Calls Out Big Three For Exclusionary Plans

By IANS News January 07, 2025 • 18:58 PM View: 314

Sydney Morning Herald: Sri Lanka's 1996 World Cup-winning captain and cricket icon Arjuna Ranatunga has expressed deep concerns about a proposal from cricket’s "Big Three" – India, England, and Australia – to restructure the Test cricket landscape. The three powerhouses are planning to create a two-tier system that prioritises matches among themselves, relegating other cricket-playing nations to a secondary status. Ranatunga fears that this move could severely harm the development of the sport, especially in smaller cricketing nations.

A report in the Sydney Morning Herald revealed that the heads of the Indian, English, and Australian cricket boards are set to meet with ICC officials later this month to discuss the controversial proposal.

The agenda includes a plan to increase the frequency of Test matches among the Big Three, ensuring that these teams play each other twice every three years instead of the current schedule of once every four years. This arrangement would leave less room for matches against other nations like Sri Lanka, Pakistan, South Africa, and West Indies among them, effectively marginalizing teams outside the Big Three.