Big Three Plan to Dominate Test Cricket with New Strategy

Big Three Plan to Dominate Test Cricket with New Strategy*Once again, the Big Three — India, Australia, and England — are making waves in the cricket world. According to media reports, Jay Shah, the Chairman of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), has devised a new strategy to take control of Test cricket. The three boards have planned to play more Test series in the future, following the model of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.Reports indicate that the boards of the three nations have agreed to play a larger number of Test series with each other, increasing competition between them. It is expected that the chairmen of the boards — Jay Shah (BCCI), Mike Baird (Cricket Australia), and Richard Thompson (England & Wales Cricket Board) — will meet at the end of this month to discuss this proposal, with a new Test cricket structure likely to be added to the agenda. This structure, which includes a two-tier system, is expected to be implemented after the current Future Tours Program (FTP) ends in 2027.The new structure will likely allow the World Test Championship to continue for another cycle. Notably, England’s captain, Ben Stokes, had previously criticized the World Test Championship (WTC), and senior cricket personalities have also advocated for more matches between the top teams.The idea of a two-division Test structure was first discussed by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2016. Under that plan, the top seven teams would compete in the first division, while the remaining five would be in the second division. However, at that time, the BCCI had voted against the two-division system, citing potential financial losses for smaller boards. The interests of broadcasters also play a significant role in this plan, as they are keen to see more matches between the Big Three countries.Broadcasters have expressed that the more matches played, the better it would be for their interests.