Afghanistan squad playing Test cricket. (FILE photo)
The rumours of a two-tier strategy person sparked a statement astir the aboriginal of Test cricket. Various erstwhile players person fixed their views successful the days and Ian Chappell has present joined the database to springiness his opinions connected the matter. However, Chappell’s constituent contrary to galore others who were disquieted astir the dire authorities of red-ball cricket successful immoderate of the lower-ranked teams and however overmuch magnitude of Test cricket they would get if the two-tier strategy is introduced, Chappell connected the different hand, questioned the teams attaining Test presumption off-late bash they person the infrastructure to big the games.
“A strategy that includes promotion and relegation is feasible but determination request to beryllium definite criteria attached earlier a squad attains Test status,” Chappell wrote successful his file for ESPNcricinfo. “Those should include: Do they person a viable first-class competition? Do they person morganatic grounds for holding five-day games? Do the grounds person capable facilities? Are they financially stable?
“If a squad meets those criteria – and maintains a precocious modular of play implicit a fig of years – past promotion to Test presumption would beryllium legitimate. However, astir of the caller Test-appointed nations don’t travel adjacent to gathering immoderate tenable criteria. For instance, could Afghanistan clasp a Test bid successful their strife-torn country? Does Ireland person a realistic fig of Test-standard grounds?” Chappell added. “Even mounting speech the Taliban’s reprehensible attraction of women, the reply to those questions is: perfectly not. Then wherefore bash they person Test status?”
In September 2023 Afghanistan’s Test against New Zealand was to beryllium hosted successful Greater Noida. However, the crippled did not adjacent spot a azygous shot being delivered due to the fact that of the mediocre infrastructure astatine the stadium arsenic the pre-match preparations were interrupted by rain. “India is our home, and erstwhile we big teams, different nations person played much cricket here. Hopefully, we volition get a bully venue present successful India and if we restrict ourselves to 1 venue, it volition beryllium effectual for us,” Afghanistan skipper Shahidi said.
“If you spot our records successful first-class, it’s bully due to the fact that we play astatine our location ground. We cognize those conditions. Hopefully, successful the future, determination volition beryllium a clip erstwhile teams volition question to Afghanistan and our mean volition beryllium higher. But for now, hopefully, the ACB and the BCCI volition get america a bully venue to play Test cricket.”