Future of Tests: Fewer India tours hurting teams outside Big Three

Only India, England and Australia have a meaningful schedule in Test cricket today 

- Rasesh Mandani

Cricket South Africa’s new franchise league, SA20, a year into its existence is the cursed child of world cricket. Accused of dangling the financial carrot and luring CSA to devalue Test cricket and therefore the World Test Championship (WTC), stalwarts like Steve Waugh feel the South Africa cricket board doesn’t care. There’s been widespread condemnation of CSA's directive to its lead players to choose SA20 over the upcoming Tests in New Zealand.

Former South Africa captain Graeme Smith, who once battled in whites with a broken arm, is the commissioner of SA20. CSA, expressing its inability to manoeuvre the schedules under the WTC structure, has stood firm that its league is a way to a better financial future for its players.

But that will take time. Despite the crowds it drew, the league in its first edition contributed only 18 million rand (approx ₹8 crore or $963,000/-) to the CSA coffers. It’s the just concluded India series -- worth nearly $70 million -- that will help them write off losses of the past three years and turn the balance sheet black. The financial returns from the India tour are double of CSA’s annual share from the International Cricket Council (ICC).

It’s the same story with every cricket board other than the Big Three. In the franchise dominated landscape, bilateral rights are difficult to sell unless India come visiting. Test cricket becomes the first casualty in framing a lean tours programme.