I don’t see a two-tier system happening: Clive Lloyd

New Delhi: Legendary West Indies captain Sir Clive Lloyd said he is greatly disturbed by the proposed two-tier Test cricket system, deeming it as an idea which is not very good at all.

According to The Sydney Morning Herald, Cricket Australia chair Mike Baird, England and Wales Cricket Board chief Richard Thompson, and BCCI representatives will meet ICC Chairman Jay Shah later this month to discuss about a potential two-tier Test system starting in 2027.

"Well, I don’t see a two-tier system (happening). I am very disturbed about this and I’m hoping that something is done, and that it must be stopped now. We’re not talking about 30 or 40 cricket teams - it’s ten teams. We should be able to have a system where everybody should be playing cricket often.”

“Test cricket is still one of the most popular games to play as far as cricket is concerned. But we seem to be putting it to one side, and I don’t think that’s very good at all. We have to have a better system. We have to sit down and work out and not just say T20 is the ‘the’ thing.”

“Not everybody wants to watch T20 cricket - we want to watch Test cricket because T20 cricket is an exhibition, while Test cricket is an examination. I can only tell if you are a Test cricketer or a top-class cricketer; you can become that by playing Test cricket,” said Lloyd while replying to a question from IANS in a select virtual interaction.

There’s also the danger of the gulf widening between top and bottom Test teams, as well as of second-tier teams suffering financially if they don’t get to play matches against the top division teams, especially against the big three of India, Australia and England.

“The effect it would have is we would not be able to produce the type of cricket that we have over the years because we will be playing in a second tier. You can only improve by playing against better opposition. You cannot be playing among yourselves in a lower league and get up there." (IANS)

Also Read: The ‘best should play the best’ for Test cricket to survive, says Ravi Shastri on two-tier system

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