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Friday, Feb 11, 2005

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ICC to discuss two-tier system

LONDON, FEB. 10 . Adoption of a two-tier system in world cricket is one of the issues on the agenda of the two-day meeting of the International Cricket Council, the game's governing body, scheduled to be held in New Delhi from March 17, ICC sources said on Thursday.

Under the proposal, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, the two weakest Test playing nations, will play less cricket and mostly at home.

Other issues on the agenda are increased duration of the cricketing programme and varied obligations of different member countries, they said.

For some time the ICC has been concerned that the tour programme is not right. All ten full members are supposed to play each other once at home and once away in five years and repeat that over the next five years.

Each series must consist of at least two Tests and three one-day internationals.

However, worried by the workload this has imposed on the leading players, the ICC set up a review of the programme in 2003.

Since then the abysmal performances of Bangladesh and the crisis in Zimbabwe has exposed the problems of the system.

Under the proposed plan, the eight major countries barring Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, will play each other twice — once at home, and once away — every four years. Bangaldesh and Zimbabwe will have a longer time span, as much as six years, to play the other countries.

Initially Bangladesh and Zimbabwe will play most of their cricket at home. This is meant to deal with two problems. These two weak teams may perform better by playing at home, and countries hosting their tours may avoid suffering huge financial losses.

A two-tier system, if adopted, could allow the ICC gradually to bring other countries, such as Kenya and Holland, into Test cricket, the sources said. — PTI

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