Improvement of Cricket

(A) Popularise cricket!

1. Restructure Current test teams.

For Cricket to improve first the quality of the current test teams should be improved. Teams like England and West Indies need to be more competitive. Here are some suggestions:

Introduce cricket in schools and colleges. More cricket competitions should be held. Cricket telecasts should be shown on free to air channels. Short forms of the sportlike twenty20 should be played to capture public imagination. Improvement of cricket stadiums and fields. Increase the competitiveness of domestic competition. Selection based only on merit NOT on quotas. Encouraging native peoples such as coloureds, Aborigines & Maoris to represent the national squad.

2. Restructuring Current ODI Teams.

It is disheartening for the current ODI status teams to play only during world cups. Such an unfair policy would never see new teams improve. Teams such as Canada, UAE, Scotland, Namibia & Holland should be given permanent ODI status and official tournaments should be played amongst themselves and the 3 bottom ranked test teams. An age limit of 35 yrs should be imposed to encourage youngsters.

Kenya should be given Test Status.

3. League Format

All teams Test and ODI should be ranked in groups of 5. The top 5 will be grp A. Next 5 B and so on. Teams in a particular group are allowed to play with teams in their own group as well as adjacent groups only. eg. Group A cannot play group C teams. [Except Tests & World Cups] Every year, the groups are restructured.

4. Improve quality of Upcoming teams

To ensure that debutants in ODI competitions have an international exposure to cricket before their debut, international tournaments should be held. Here's what should be done.

Two international annual tournaments should be held. Two teams should be selected from each country. 1. Team that has won the domestic competition and 2. A mixed bag composed of the best players of the other teams. This would give budding players the required international exposure. Venues rotated annually. An auxiliary domestic competition should be held. At least 5 local teams and 3 international teams (best players) compete in ODI and test matches. Any ODI status country can participate. Teams wishing to improve their game can learn from the following countries on tour: Batting: India, Australia Spin Bowling: India, Sri Lanka Fast Bowling Australia, South Africa Seam Bowling: England, New Zealand. The ICC must have a clear process for teams obtaining ODI and test status. This is what it should do.

To get associate status, local boards should ensure:

A cricket education program is introduced in schools Cricket equipment is readily available Adequate playing grounds are available International matches are telecast on free to air TV channels and radio. A well maintained website of the national cricket authority.

To get permanent ODI status teams should:

Be placed 1,2 or 3 in the ICC Associate World Cup. Have at least one accredited (C grade --see gradings below) stadium. see pt 4 above.

To get Test Sta