ACA fears of ‘too much cricket’ if proposed Test league becomes reality

SYDNEY - Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) Chief Executive Paul Marsh has expressed concern at the possibility of more Test matches, as the International Cricket Council (ICC) look to finalize a formal Test league.

An ICC committee has advanced a long-awaited plan of a Test league run over four years, which would culminate in a competition between the top-four teams at the end of the period.

The first period of the championship, however, would be curtailed, with the first Test finals scheduled for 2013.

Marsh welcomed the move to add greater context to international cricket, but was wary of increased fixtures in the already packed Future Tours Program.

“We’re still working through the detail of that, we’ve been talking about the need for context in world cricket for a long time,” The Sydney Morning Herald quoted Marsh, as saying.

“The proposal I saw going into the ICC really gave context to some matches, but not all of them. I read with interest the ICC release that said all matches were covered, but I’m still waiting on the detail of things.”

“But, conceptually, more matches is certainly not part of something that we would be keen to see, there’s already too much cricket,” he added.

The committee has also recommended a cut in the number of teams in the 50-over World Cup from 14 to 10.

The recommendation is an admission that the 2011 World Cup format has too many uncompetitive matches in the opening rounds.

The committee said that it wants cricket’s “minnows” to compete against established teams in Twenty20 instead of one-day cricket.

It has also recommended that the next Twenty20 World Cup, scheduled for 2012, should be expanded to include 16 nations. (ANI)