Two-tier system crucial to saving Test cricket : Shane Warne

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It proved that there is a massive gap between the top four or five-ranked Test teams and the bottom three or four. More... Two-tier system crucial to saving Test cricket Shane Warne December 01, 2009 12:00AM Shane Warne says the worst fears about a poor West Indies team are true. AUSTRALIA was far too good for the West Indies in Brisbane, but was it a surprise? What questions were answered? It proved that there is a massive gap between the top four or five-ranked Test teams and the bottom three or four. Unfortunately, the worst fears about a poor West Indies team are true. I love Test cricket, but I think it is has got to the stage where there are some things that need to be addressed. I reckon we need a two-tier system for Test cricket with a grand final for the top two sides in a neutral venue in a one-off Test. I love tradition and that's why I have been vocal about saving Test cricket. I believe two tiers is the future and a grand final. Which means the fifth side in the top tier would be relegated to the bottom tier and the top team in that tier would be promoted. I can hear people saying that there will be complications regarding sponsorship and the like. This might be true and the ICC will need to help on that one. So how is the top five decided? The ICC rankings would get credibility as the system that determines which tier each country goes to. The other advantage of a two-tier system is Test captains will need to play to win, to protect their spot in the top tier, which will surely result in more entertaining cricket. Although it was good to see the Australian boys being ruthless, I'm not a big believer in the follow-on. But Ricky got it spot on and indeed spot on through the whole Test. He also looked in super touch with the bat. For that matter, all the batters did, including the tail. My only concern is Shane Watson. It's not because of his duck, I just know he is better suited in the middle order, right now and for the future. What happens if he does fail a few times opening and the middle order piles on the runs against the ordinary Windies? Where is the spot then for Watto? He is confident now and a few failures opening could damage the space he is in. What then? Drop Watson? No way. Australian selectors cannot let this happen. Watson in the Australian team is a must. It's great that he wants to open, but that is a short-term solution. The start of the summer was the perfect time to put players in their best positions against weak opposition. It's still not too late to make the tough and correct call, please! I have known Watto for a long time and know how he ticks. He is a good guy who just wants to be the best he can . . . he wants the responsibility, but deep down I reckon if the selectors said, "Mate, we want you in the team for a long time and want you to bat at five", he would say "Cool" or "Phew!" He would do anything that Ricky wants - that's the truth. But for the sake of his future, now is the time to make the tough call - move him to No. 5. Mike Hussey has to open. Remember Hussey was an opener for most of his career and is how he got selected in the first place. We want Hussey at his best and opening could be just the move to bring out his best form again. It's the right thing by the team. Watto is a genuine all-rounder and is best suited at No. 5. My top six would read: Hussey, Simon Katich, Ponting, Michael Clarke, Watson and Marcus North. Then, if Hussey does not find form, there are openers in Shield cricket ready to step in. Phil Hughes should be first-choice opener when he is in form. But first he must get over demons against the short ball and show he is hungry to get the opening spot back. Chris Rogers has again piled on the runs, and if Hughes does not rediscover his form, Rogers is ready to go. Where to now for the West Indies? I'm not sure they know, which is such a shame. They are a very proud bunch, the West Indians, and will feel embarrassed at their performance in Brisbane. They will come back, but they cannot sustain pressure for long periods of time with bat or ball. Young opener Adrian Barath was a surprise and it was great to see him put up a fight. Everyone knows Chris Gayle and Shiv Chanderpaul are the keys with the bat. But for those guys to use both video challenges when they must have known they were plum was to put themselves above the rest. Speaking of the referral system, I think it worked and the more everyone gets used to it, the quicker it will be. Later this week Les Burdett will roll out a typical belter in the city of churches. Adelaide is a great venue to play and let's hope the cricket resembles a Test match, not a walk in the park.

[Indianfan_Hyd]

They where will Pakistais go....Tier three

[Karan114]

Kenya, Paki, Bangla, Ireland etc. should have their own tournament without official Test status.

[King Tendulkar]

Bangla, Windies, Zimbs, Ireland, Kenya should no doubt be in a tier 2 sytsem.

[CSK Fan]

Bangla' date=' Windies, Zimbs, Ireland, Kenya should no doubt be in a tier 2 sytsem.[/quote'] Only Bangla and Windies play test

[Guest Gunner]

Only Bangla and Windies play test

:hysterical::hysterical::hysterical::hysterical::hysterical:

[yoda]

Only Bangla and Windies play test

well you can't create a tier with 2 teams. regarding OP, I don't think it makes sense to push a team to second tier just because they have a bad team now.

[King Tendulkar]

well you can't create a tier with 2 teams.regarding OP' date= I don't think it makes sense to push a team to second tier just because they have a bad team now.

Well I am glad someone got it!:--D

[Guest Gunner]

well you can't create a tier with 2 teams. regarding OP, I don't think it makes sense to push a team to second tier just because they have a bad team now.

It is not a permanent relegation, the system allows you to move up and down based on performance. I think this is really what needs to be done. How many test matches are you honestly willing to see featuring Bangladesh, WI, NZ and Pakistan? I find all of them pathetic at the moment. The best example of this sorry state of affairs are the two series featuring WI, NZ and Pak concurrently. WI are getting whipped in 3 days and this will be the case for the remaining two games as well. OTOH NZ and Pak series appears to be extremely close because of the sorry lineups both have. How many 3 day matches featuring these teams is good for cricket?

[King Tendulkar]

It is not a permanent relegation, the system allows you to move up and down based on performance. I think this is really what needs to be done. How many test matches are you honestly willing to see featuring Bangladesh, WI, NZ and Pakistan? I find all of them pathetic at the moment. The best example of this sorry state of affairs are the two series featuring WI, NZ and Pak concurrently. WI are getting whipped in 3 days and this will be the case for the remaining two games as well. OTOH NZ and Pak series appears to be extremely close because of the sorry lineups both have. How many 3 day matches featuring these teams is good for cricket?

pak and nz are still good enough to play. windies and banglas are pathetic

[yoda]

It is not a permanent relegation, the system allows you to move up and down based on performance. I think this is really what needs to be done. How many test matches are you honestly willing to see featuring Bangladesh, WI, NZ and Pakistan? I find all of them pathetic at the moment. The best example of this sorry state of affairs are the two series featuring WI, NZ and Pak concurrently. WI are getting whipped in 3 days and this will be the case for the remaining two games as well. OTOH NZ and Pak series appears to be extremely close because of the sorry lineups both have. How many 3 day matches featuring these teams is good for cricket?

ok, let's say you push WI down, then they top the tier 2 table, you bring them back to tier 1? also, once you push WI down, let's say SL starts sucking big time, you push them to tier 2? just trying to understand how pushing a team to a lower tier will make them any better to be eligible to come back. i can understand if you just want to create a different league for them like the minor leagues in the US, but doesn't make sense to move them up and down the tiers.

[CSK Fan]

pak and nz are still good enough to play each other.

fixed. Thats the whole idea. that these teams actually play each other. Every year, the top team in the group can then play the bottom team from the tier one group and the winner can be in tier 1, with the loser going to tier 2

[CSK Fan]

ok, let's say you push WI down, then they top the tier 2 table, you bring them back to tier 1? also, once you push WI down, let's say SL starts sucking big time, you push them to tier 2? just trying to understand how pushing a team to a lower tier will make them any better to be eligible to come back. i can understand if you just want to create a different league for them like the minor leagues in the US, but doesn't make sense to move them up and down the tiers.

the bottom team from tier 1 will play a series against the best team in tier 2 each year for a place

[cowboysfan]

i think two tier system is a non-starter and will have an opposite effect by making bad teams worse.you get better by playing good teams.Test cricket will be poorer if its implemented.

[yoda]

the bottom team from tier 1 will play a series against the best team in tier 2 each year for a place

interesting and not a bad idea in that case.

[goose]

Test matches on the whole need more context. Given the time it takes to contest home and away series with the other current seven playing nations this absolutely cannot be done with out some tiering. India have already dropped all pretense of hosting Bangladesh and Windies anyhow so why not go the whole hog? You have to save the sport before you look after money and tradition. One unwanted consequence, however, might be a potential batting star e.g. Umar Akmal or Adrian Barath going a whole career without facing up to the best in the business. That would be a loss to the sport.

[Pak_Forever]

An absolute farce system which will only harm cricket then make it more interesting. 2 years ago Pakistan was a good Test team. Few years ago India never really was a great competitive Test team as it is today. England is only good in England and sh!t outside (lost to WI recently anyone remember). Pak, WI, NZ and SL have produced their share of excellent exciting cricketers. Test matches should mean something, not just hoping in rankings. 4 year cycle Test championship is what they should be actually aiming for. Not a pointless two tier system where 4 teams play against each other for million times.