The Big Three approach aims to make Test cricket more appealing. In 2016, the International Cricket Council (ICC), cricket’s highest regulatory body, proposed a new formula to make Test cricket more appealing, which included India, Australia, and England. The objective was to establish two-tier or home-and-away series with the “Big Three” cricket boards.
The Big Three approach: At the time, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) stood alongside boards from Bangladesh, the West Indies, and Zimbabwe. However, as Chairman of the ICC, Jay Shah is reconsidering the viability of implementing the previous method. Jay Shah previously served as the BCCI’s secretary.
If the “Big Three” criteria is applied, boards in Bangladesh and Zimbabwe will be denied the opportunity to play Test matches against teams such as India, Australia, and England. In reality, Bangladesh has not had the opportunity to play Test matches in England or Australia for nearly 15 years. If that possibility is gone forever, these boards will lose revenue, i.e. income from the ICC.
The ICC and Jay Shah do not appear to be concerned about smaller boards’ loss of income at the moment. Jay Shah will shortly meet with Cricket Australia Chairman Mickey Bird and England and Wales Cricket Board Chairman Richard Thompson to implement the “Big Three” concept. In addition, the BCCI has scheduled a special general meeting for January 12 to debate the implementation of this methodology.
According to media sources, the “Big Three” or three-way formula will not be introduced until 2027, as the ICC’s Future Tours Program (FTP) and tournament schedules have already been determined for that year. However, if discussions between the ICC Chairman and the BCCI, Cricket Australia (CA), and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) are successful, this two-tier Test format might be implemented in two to three years.
It is alleged that the ICC intends to establish a new Test formula incorporating the three major cricket boards in order to increase the appeal of Test cricket. If these three countries play home-and-away Test series against one another, the game’s popularity is expected to rise, and Test cricket will be reinvigorated. This is also projected to result in increased revenue. However, it remains unclear how other Test-playing countries will handle bilateral Test series in such a circumstance.
The Big Three approach…The Big Three approach…
