Ravi Shastri, a former head coach of team India, believes that the top six teams in the format should be the only ones allowed to play in Test matches. The former head coach added that other teams should be eligible to join the top six, and that the system shouldn't be confined to only six teams.
Numerous cricket analysts and commentators have claimed over the years that Test cricket is dying and that the format does not draw in as many spectators as white-ball matches. In order to keep spectators interested in the longest format of the game, the International Cricket Council (ICC) created the World Test Championship (WTC).
Test cricket will need to limit the number of participating teams: Ravi Shastri
“You cannot have 12 teams or ten teams. You keep the top six, keep the quality, and respect quality over quantity. That’s the only way you open a window for other cricket to be played. Expand teams in one-day cricket and T20 cricket if you want the game to spread. But Test cricket will have to reduce the number of teams that play,” said Shastri.
“Whether it’s India, Australia, or England you have to qualify for red-ball series if you want to be around to play Test match cricket. Then it doesn’t matter if England doesn’t go to the West Indies, or West Indies come to England. If they’re in the top six, they play, but if they’re not in the top six they don’t play,” he added.
The top six teams in the Test format, according to the current rankings, are Australia, India, South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Pakistan.