Each series will be a full Three Match series, and traditional 4 or 5 match series (Ashes etc) will have to play outside of The Don Trophy Matches (unless both teams nominate which three matches are to count)
The logistics are seemingly large, but in reality highly workable. The only matches that would suffer are the Pakistan Home Matches.
Anyway, the stats:
| South Africa | England | Australia | India | Pakistan | West Indies | Sri Lanka | New Zealand | Bangladesh | Zimbabwe | ||
| South Africa | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | ||
| England | H | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | ||
| Australia | H | H | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | ||
| India | H | H | H | A | A | A | A | A | A | ||
| Pakistan | H | H | H | H | A | A | A | A | A | ||
| West Indies | H | H | H | H | H | A | A | A | A | ||
| Sri Lanka | H | H | H | H | H | H | A | A | A | ||
| New Zealand | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | A | A | ||
| Bangladesh | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | A | ||
| Zimbabwe | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | H | ||
| Number of Test Match Series | 90 | ||||||||||
| Number of Years | 5 | ||||||||||
| Series of Three Tests Two Home Two Away Per Year and every two years a Three Test series extra. | |||||||||||
| Points Allocation | |||||||||||
| Series Win | 15 | ||||||||||
| Series Drawn | 9 | ||||||||||
| Innings Defeat | 7 | ||||||||||
| Outright Win | 6 | ||||||||||
| Drawn Match Weather | 3 | ||||||||||
| Drawn Match batted out | 1 | ||||||||||
| After Five years of play, top four teams go into sudden death, 1 plays 4, 2 plays 3, winners play final for CWC Test Trophy and 3 and 4 play off for rankings. | |||||||||||
ReplyDeleteWhy I think it's important a proposal for test match cricket competition is important for the future of the game.
1. The power shifts back to the ICC from the recent hold the BCCI has had on the game.
2. The short forms of the game though necessary are taking too much gloss off test cricket.
3. Test Cricket rankings are historical and teams don't shift markedly from their current rankings. In The Don Trophy, the first five years gives performance points not ranking points and after each five year cycle, the performance points are reset so all teams start again on zero points and must play to succeed.
4. Test match cricket has had an upswing in popularity again and to bolster that popularity live coverage of all games played in The Don Trophy is paramount. Live TV viewing can translate into live ground attendance when teams play at local venues. More bums on seats and more paid television rights will bolster the organisations that run the game and that should translate into better pay outs to players and officials, thus keeping the game buoyant.
Why 5 year cycle? Basically most test teams have a settled player roster for 5 – 8 years so it's fair to say most teams in the competition will have at their disposal their top players for the tenure of the competition. This also translates to popular fan bases and opens the door to Fantasy cricket type competitions through media companies, thus giving enthusiasm and vibrancy to the competition from the players, administrators and the fans. It also could mean higher numbers at venues.
The 5 year cycle also covers the 90 matches played in total allowing 4 three test match series per country per year (two home/two away) and on two separate years a three test match series so that all teams in 5 years play 18 3 test match series. Currently most teams are doing this anyway, but there is nothing to gain from it except where you sit on the table (also governed by how many test series are actually played – Zimbabwe and Bangladesh down on the rest currently).
Why the trophy name? Well all cricket players aim for being the best, and there is no doubt only one cricketer in test match history has had place in everyone's thinking, and that average entices so many to excel. As none in any era have even matched that effort just stands the test of time and the reason for an important icon leading an important competition. I am fully aware there is a Bradman Trophy for excellence in Australian Domestic Cricket, but wouldn't it be rather apt an international competition, and the very highest for cricketers, had his signature to it, hence The Don Trophy (or Cup or Shield)
Yeah hairbrained, but is it?? If teams stuck in the middle to bottom of the rankings had a chance to play serious cricket with no points to start with and had results, how much interest would there be in world cricket?