Published: Jul 06, 2016, 07:44 PM (IST)
Edited: Jul 06, 2016, 07:44 PM (IST)
After Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) and Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) opposition to the two-tier Test system, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) too have now taken a stand against it. SLC President Thilanga Sumathipala believes that it will not benefit Sri Lanka Cricket, the game or the players. Sumathipala believes that that there will be financial ramifications and also voiced his support for the current system for the full membership for associate nations and Test status. The two-tier Test system is supposedly to be designed in such a way that the top 7 teams are there in the first tier and the five teams, including two teams will be placed in the second tier. READ: BCB vice-president not in favour of two-tier Test system
“Sri Lanka Cricket has decided not to support two-tier Test cricket as we have decided it’s detrimental to SLC and for its future,” Sumathipala said. “We feel that to make it a top seven – you are virtually relegating the bottom three to a different level,” he added, according to espncricinfo.com.
“We believe that if you are a Full Member, there can’t be two tiers. One of the reasons is to maintain sustainability of the economy of cricket. If India goes to eighth position, what happens?” READ: Bangladesh gets BCCI’s backing on opposition to two-tier Test format
Sumathipala believes that if any team wants to make their way up, they can, but that does not necessarily mean the a few have to go down. “If someone wants to come up – they can come up, that’s no problem. That’s the way Bangladesh, Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka came up. But that doesn’t mean that anyone should go down. If you want to take the Test level that is a different effort that you must make. We did that for Bangladesh and it’s a very successful story.” READ: James Sutherland backs proposed two-tier Test, ODI League
However, Sumathipala backed the idea of having four-day Tests. “We strongly believe that in years to come we should encourage four-day Test cricket,” Sumathipala said. “We believe it’s going to be strong and effective. With the pink ball coming up and day-night facilities coming in, you can easily extend the day another 45 minutes and play a four-day Test comprising of 400 overs.”
