England fear two-tier Test system could compromise Ashes; Australia ‘open’ to exploring opportunities

England and India just featured in perhaps one of the best five-match Test series in recent times, with both sharing honours at the end of it. Barring the result, all matches reaching day five, with almost all getting wrapped up inside the final session, answered queries or even concerns surrounding the format’s future. Even though the full-packed houses at different venues across the UK reflected the country’s love for Test cricket, its board fears that the introduction of a two-tier Test system, currently under work, could see England fall into the second bracket sometime, potentially compromising its age-old rivalries against Australia (Ashes) and India.

Meanwhile, to further improve WTC ahead of the next cycle, which begins in July 2027, the ICC formed a working group last month, led by former New Zealand batter Roger Twose, during its annual conference. Even though the Big 3, including India, England and Australia, have always kept Test cricket paramount, other boards feel pressurised trying to balance the Test cricket calendar with the congested franchise-based T20 leagues worldwide.

Speaking on the same lines, ECB Chairman Richard Thompson rejected this idea, saying the two-tier system is not the answer to improving Test cricket structure, further warning boards of its complications should the ICC introduce it.

"There's a lot of options that we've got to look at - tiers would be one of them," Thompson said. "We wouldn't want, as England, we may go through a fallow period, and that means, what, we fall into Division Two and we don't play Australia and India? That couldn't happen. There has to be a sense that common sense needs to play out here."

On the other hand, Todd Greenberg, Cricket Australia’s (CA) CEO - another influential voice on this subject - feels the top-earning boards must do more than just a bit to support those struggling on and off the field. He urged the Big 3 to step up and help smaller nations' cricket grow, mainly by working on improving their first-class cricket.

"The real challenge here is what role do we all play," Greenberg said in a chat on SEN Radio on Wednesday (Aug 6). “When I say we, those three countries that [are] putting resources and energy into Test cricket, what role do we have to help others make sure that they step up because it's in our interest to see a strong West Indies, a strong Pakistan, New Zealand, [and] South Africa. We want those countries being strong in this format of the game, but clearly they're going to need help. They can't do it alone. It's incumbent on all of cricket to help.”

He, however, admitted being open to the idea of a two-tier Test system should it serve the bigger purpose and involve fewer complications.

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