Angelo Mathews Responds to ECB’s Plan for One-Off Tests
Sri Lankan cricketer Angelo Mathews has voiced his strong opposition to recent reports that the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is considering limiting future tours to Sri Lanka and Bangladesh to just one Test match. This move aims to enhance the financial viability of tours for host nations, but Mathews believes it undermines the spirit of Test cricket.
Reports indicate that the ECB is thinking about moving away from the traditional home-and-away series model as part of the next cycle of the ICC World Test Championship, set to kick off with the Ashes in England next summer. Mathews expressed his concerns on social media, stating, “We should not play one-off Tests with anyone! If a country doesn’t want to play more than one, that’s their choice! All Test-playing nations are equal.”
In addition to the one-off Test discussions, it has been reported that the ECB is exploring the possibility of five-Test series with South Africa and Pakistan, a concept not seen in decades. Mathews, who has played 119 Tests and scored over 8,200 runs, pointed out the imbalance this could create within the championship cycle. He stated, “You can’t have one team playing 20 games and another playing 10! Generating revenue and keeping Test cricket alive are two different things, and you shouldn’t mix them!”
Are One-Off Tests Getting ICC Approval?
As these discussions progress, cricket officials are also looking into the possibility of including one-off Tests in the next World Test Championship cycle. There is talk of expanding the competition to 12 teams, potentially inviting nations like Ireland, Zimbabwe, and Afghanistan into the fold for the first time.
England is also considering playing a Test in Zimbabwe for the first time since the 1996-97 season, though a tour to Afghanistan seems unlikely outside ICC events. The ECB believes that adopting the one-Test series model could provide smaller cricketing nations with greater opportunities while also helping to sustain the longest format of the game.
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