The coronavirus has forced to postpone many recent cricket matches, including halting the inaugural ICC World Test Championship (2019-21). Former Australian left-arm chinaman Brad Hogg has advised scrapping the World Test Championship in this situation and also recommended for some special Test series in this crisis.
The ICC World Test Championship has been started to make the Test cricket more attractive and competitive. Many have supported the World Test Championship but still don’t like the entire process of this tournament. While some feel that the points system is not appropriate, some are still missing the consistent competitiveness in the early period of this tournament.
Brad Hogg feels that the cricket fans want to see some competitive cricket in this present crisis. The 49-year-old has suggested scrapping the World Test Championship in this situation and advised to organise the upcoming India tour of Australia and an Ashes series.
Hogg said according to India Today, “Viewers want to see some competitive cricket, so scrap the World Test Championship (WTC) for a while and get a couple of series that are really going to ignite the interest around the world.
“Firstly scrap this summer’s India series against Australia and have the Ashes played instead.”
We have not seen India-Pakistan Test series for a while: Brad Hogg
Hogg has also suggested for the India-Pakistan Test series in both the countries during the Christmas period as the neighbour countries haven’t been involved in the bilateral cricket series for a long time.
Hogg added, “But on the flip side of not having India there, where do they play? They play a four-match series against Pakistan during the Christmas period — two matches in Pakistan and two matches in India.
“We have not seen it (Indo-Pak Test series) for a while and the public is starving for it.”
India-Pakistan last time played a bilateral cricket series in early 2013. However, they played a Test series for the last time in late 2007. Meanwhile, India last time played in Pakistan in 2008 during the Asia Cup 2008.
At present, India and Pakistan aren’t involved in the bilateral series due to the political tensions between the two countries. However, they now only meet in the ICC or ACC tournaments.