Two-tier system in Test cricket? Michael Vaughan shares thoughts to revamp WTC format
Former England captain Michael Vaughan has voiced his opinion on having a two-tier World Test Championship (WTC) format while speaking on Thursday (May 22).
Former England captain Michael Vaughan has voiced his opinion on having a two-tier World Test Championship (WTC) format while speaking on Thursday (May 22). Vaughan who famously led England to the 2005 Ashes win spoke on having a revamped system where all teams are given equal chances and compete on even terms. The current WTC format contains a lot of inconsistencies and calls have been firm for a revamped format to be introduced.
Two-tier system in WTC?
"I think it's very confusing if you look at the number of games South Africa have played compared to what Australia, India, or England have played. It's very hard for the average cricket fan to understand who's the best team in the world and how exactly the top two teams make it to the final. I'd just like it to be a lot clearer. I'd have two leagues," Vaughan told BBC Sport.
"I just think Test cricket needs more of a narrative. At the minute, it's very confusing, and it's very hard for the public to understand," he added.
In the previous WTC cycle, England played 22 matches compared to South Africa’s 12 matches while both India and Australia were involved in 19 matches each. The cycle also had several inconsistencies which included certain nations not playing the same number of series and matches.
Interestingly, few teams did not go head-to-head including India-Pakistan matches in the 2023-25 cycle. On the other hand, India-South Africa matches were also not part of the tour calendar in the 2021-23 cycle.
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The two-tier system, if launched could have a promotion-relegation format where teams from the higher division will compete for the WTC and avoid getting relegated to the lower tier. Teams from the lower division will compete for a place in the higher division with promotion on the agenda. It will be interesting to see how ICC plans to revamp the format as a serious case has been made.
