The first newspaper articles expressing concern about the appeal and future of Test cricket were penned soon after the turn of the century — the previous one. In 1908 and 1909 there was concern about the slow pace of play and international cricketers being more “cautious and inhibited in their approach” than those playing domestic matches.
It was one of the reasons the first triangular Test-series was organised in England in the summer of 1912 featuring all Test nations. All three. England, Australia and SA. It was, in effect, the first World Test Championship (WTC) though nobody called it that.
In an unusually wet summer England won the competition with four wins from their six matches but it was a commercial flop with poor attendances and a badly understrength Australian team. No further multiteam Test tournament was played until the 1998-99 Asia Cup and that, too, only had one more edition until it reverted to easier, more viable white-ball formats.
Now, however, the “actual” World Test Championship is about to complete its third two-year cycle and there is a powerful, majority belief among the game’s high and mighty that it is here to stay. It is a contorted compromise of a competition but, for all its many faults, even the naysayers are beginning to accept the toothpaste cannot be put back into the tube.
Instead, focus and attention is turning towards how the contest can be improved so that the number of matches played — against which other contestants — can produce a fairer result. There simply isn’t sufficient time for everyone to play everyone else in 24 months, and India and Pakistan won’t play Tests against each other, but there is consensus on a desire for improvement.
For all the speculation about the formation of two divisions in Test cricket — they already exist. There are 12 nations with Test status but only nine compete in the World Test Championship. It appears to be yet another of the ICC’s exercises in futility granting Afghanistan and Ireland Test status when they mostly only have each other and Zimbabwe to play against.
But Zimbabwe is fighting back from the imposed obscurity and will play 11 Tests this year, more than any other nation except Australia who will play the same number. Eight of them will be in Zimbabwe including two against SA immediately after the WTC final at Lord’s that starts on June 11.
“We don’t understand why we are not included in the Test Championship but we are determined to get there,” said Zimbabwe Cricket president Tavengwa Mukuhlani. “Playing Test cricket is one of the criteria to be a full-member [of the ICC] and it is not right that some nations are excluded.”
The World Cricketers Association (WCA) conduct regular polls among professionals worldwide and have been warning the game’s administrators for several years that “an IPL contract” has now overtaken “to play Test cricket” as the major career goal among their members. But that fails to take into account the ability and personality of those polled.
Among those with the skill and desire to play the most challenging format, Test cricket remains comfortably the pinnacle of the game. For those who have tried and failed, or who have been to the top of the mountain and satisfied their urge, priorities change to maximising their earning potential. Of course they want an IPL contract. Test cricket is hard and not for the faint-hearted or half-committed.
It doesn’t, however, mean that every Test match is the same. Those forming a part of the WTC have quickly assumed a status far above those outside the league. It is absolutely right that the Proteas and Cricket SA are supporting Zimbabwe by playing two Tests at end-June but, as England showed recently with an innings victory inside three days last week, the Zimbabwe team is a “work in progress”.
Head coach Shukri Conrad’s assertion that “the best team will always play” under his stewardship is bound to lead to problems. The Test series in Zimbabwe clashes directly with Major League Cricket in the US where Marco Jansen and Ryan Rickelton, at least, have lucrative contracts. The more things change … the more they stay the same.
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