Can’t really see Test cricket evolving at any speed at all, remarks ICC Chairman

Domestic T20 leagues, such as IPL, PSL, BBL, CPL, and many more, have taken all attractions from the bilateral series across different countries in the last few years. The ICC Chairman Greg Barclay, during the first Test match between England and New Zealand, opined that it would affect the bilateral series, especially in Test cricket.

Barclay, who has been holding the ICC Chairman role since November 2020, stated that cricket’s highest governing body will face serious challenges to tackle everything because of the continuous emergence of franchise cricket. However, he has clarified that the big three of world cricket – India, England, and Australia – won’t be suffered due to that.

“There is a men's and women's event every year and the growth of domestic leagues are forcing things from the bottom and what is getting squeezed is bilateral cricket and so we are trying to fit everything in," Barclay told BBC's Test Match Special.

"There will be some unfortunate consequences from a playing experience and a revenue point of view for some of those countries who won't get the amount of cricket they might hope to have and they won't get exposure, particularly against India and to a lesser extent Australia and England. So we will see a squeeze.”

Further, when asked about the progress of Test cricket, Barclay opined: “Some countries may have to make room and play less Test cricket. Some of the smaller full members will have to accept that they can't play the amount of Test cricket that they wanted to, so we may see a lessening of that - four or five a year - whereas England, Australia and India, I think, will be playing Test cricket as they are now." The ICC chair, however, doesn't see the longer format evolving in women's cricket at a significant pace.

"To play Test cricket, you've got to have structures domestically that allow you to play long-form cricket and they don't really exist in any of the countries at the moment, so I can't really see women's Test cricket or long-form cricket evolving at any particular speed at all.”