Aakash Chopra has expressed his doubts about the longevity of the World Test Championship (WTC) if the disparity in scheduling among teams continues. The International Cricket Council (ICC) recently unveiled the schedule for the 2023-25 WTC cycle, revealing that India, England, and Australia would engage in five-Test series against each other, while other clashes would be limited to two or three Tests.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra shared his reservations about the future of the World Test Championship, “We say it’s all equal because they have introduced percentage points, but is it only about percentage points? The truth is that Test cricket needs financial support from T20 and other formats.”
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The former Indian opener went on to state, “If Test cricket is continually losing matches due to financial constraints, I believe the Test championship might have to be discontinued after another two cycles because only three teams will be actively involved.”
Chopra pointed out that even a one-Test series could have been considered if the rules permitted it, “England, Australia, and India are the three countries that play the most Test cricket. Everyone else is left with two or three-match series because you can’t call a single match a series, although that might have been the case too.”
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To support his argument, Chopra highlighted India’s schedule for the 2023-25 WTC cycle. He emphasized that while India would engage in five-Test series against England and Australia, they would only play two Tests each against Bangladesh, West Indies, and South Africa, and three Tests against New Zealand.
Chopra stressed that a team’s performance should not determine their schedule, “It doesn’t matter where you stand. You might be the best team, you might hold the Test mace, but the number of Test matches you play is determined by the economics of cricket. Winning the Test mace and becoming a top team doesn’t guarantee any additional benefits.”
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To support his point, Chopra highlighted New Zealand’s situation by saying, “When New Zealand won the Test cycle, they were among the teams that had played the fewest Tests. Despite becoming the best Test team, their situation remained the same in the last two years. Teams should have lined up to play against New Zealand, but that wasn’t the case.”
Chopra concluded by advocating for a minimum of three Tests in every series. He expressed his bewilderment at the current schedule and criticized the unfairness of having two-Test series.
