Time for cricket to explore a 2-tier Test match structure: Deep Dasgupta

What can be seen as one of the innovative ways to draw a new bunch of audience to Test cricket? Former India cricketer Deep Dasgupta envisions a 12-nation, two-tiered format with a relegation and promotion system. 

Dasgupta believes that by using this format, the bilateral Test series will become more interesting and fascinating to watch. The wicketkeeper-batsman uses the Pakistan-Zimbabwe series as an example, with everyone knowing what perhaps is going to be the end result. 

“It’s time for cricket to explore a 2-tier Test match structure. Well, we are aware that we need to, kind of, revive Test match cricket and one of the things that are ailing the format is the fact that there are too many inconsequential bilateral series and too many one-sided series. I mean, Pakistan vs Zimbabwe, as well as Pakistan, played, we knew what the result was going to be right from the start,” Deep Dasgupta told ESPNcricinfo.

Further elaborating on his format structure, the 43-year-old would like to see each series as “consequential,” with home and away games played between teams from both groups over course of two-to-three years. He went on to add that this can be one of the ways to revive Test cricket along with a few others.

“So I think if you divide the 12 Test playing nations into two groups of six teams each, obviously there will be relegation and promotion involved in the 2 tiers, and you play 5 other teams home and away over 2.5-3 years. The idea is to make sure that every series is consequential, has some context to it and it’s competitive. I am not saying this is the only way of getting Test match cricket back on track but this could be one of the ways,” Deep Dasgupta added.