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West Indies cricket team all-rounder Jason Holder expressed his concern regarding the future of Test cricket and said that the current financial model can end up damaging the longest format of the sport. Holder, who is currently part of Dubai Capitals in the ILT20 league, said that the ‘big three’ controls all the revenue and it is difficult for ‘smaller territories’ like the West Indies to compete due to the massive financial disparity. The West Indies cricketer added that one way to save Test cricket is to create a specific window for the matches and also introduce an uniform ‘minimum wage’ for all cricketers.
“Honestly, if we continue in this manner, Test cricket will die. It’s sad, but it’s true, based on the current structure. You’ve got the big three who practically command all the revenue regarding the disbursement of ICC funds. And it’s difficult for smaller territories such as the West Indies to compete. We just don’t have the financial resources that they do,” Holder told Hindustan Times.
“The only way you can honestly see Test cricket being saved is, if you have a window for Test cricket in a year so that you can have your best players available to play there. And on top of that, you need to compensate players fairly. If we could come up with a model where you can have a minimum wage where you can’t fall below a particular threshold,” he added.
Earlier, former Australia skipper Steve Waugh has slammed the International Cricket Council and top cricket boards, including the BCCI, for not caring about Test cricket after South Africa named a depleted red-ball squad for the tour of New Zealand, prioritising its T20 league over the longest format.
Cricket South Africa (CSA) have named a second-string Test squad which has seven uncapped players, including a new captain, for next month’s two-Test series against New Zealand.
The top South African cricketers are contracted to play in the second season of the SA20, the T20 league launched by CSA and Indian Premier League investors, which clashes with the tour.
(With PTI inputs)
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