West Indies great Clive Lloyd ‘disturbed’ by two-tier plan for Test cricket

  • Talks ongoing on dividing sport into two divisions
  • Lloyd: ‘I think it will be terrible for some countries’

The West Indies great Clive Lloyd is “disturbed” by the idea of a two-tier structure for Test cricket and believes efforts should instead be focused on ensuring struggling teams play more often against the top sides.

According to a report in the Melbourne Age, India, Australia and England are in talks to divide Test cricket into two divisions to allow cricket’s “Big Three” to play each other more often. The International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Indian chairman, Jay Shah, will meet representatives of the Australian and English boards this month, the report added.

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ECB urged to boycott Afghanistan game in Champions Trophy by UK politicians

  • More than 160 sign letter condemning ‘sex apartheid’
  • Women’s cricket team disbanded under Taliban rule

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has been urged to boycott next month’s Champions Trophy match against Afghanistan by a group of more than 160 politicians, including Nigel Farage, Jeremy Corbyn and Lord Kinnock.

The England men’s ODI side are due to face Afghanistan in Lahore on 26 February but there are calls from Westminster for the ECB to refuse the fixture, taking a stand against the Taliban regime’s ongoing assault on women’s rights.

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Radical plan may result in two England-Australia Ashes series every three years

  • ICC to discuss splitting 12 Test nations into two tiers
  • India’s support or otherwise for the initiative is key

England and Australia could play two Ashes series every three years from 2027 onwards under a radical two division plan being considered for Test cricket.

According to a report in the Melbourne Age, Australia, England and India, plus Jay Shah, the new chair of the International Cricket Council, are due to meet later this month to discuss splitting the 12 Test nations into two tiers. It would also allow the so-called “Big Three” countries to play their hugely lucrative series more often.

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