“Made no sense not having India-Pakistan series” – Ramiz Raja not happy with World Test Championship format
Ramiz Raja called for a separate window for the next edition of the World Test Championship. The former cricketer expressed his dissatisfaction with the current system, suggesting it was senseless that India and Pakistan did not play each other in the competition.
The inaugural edition of the World Test Championship was severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. With cricketing calendars taking a hit, the ICC decided to change the system midway as Test cricket came to a halt.
Ramiz Raja shared his views on YouTube Channel Cricket Bazz, explaining why the current iteration of the World Test Championship needs alterations.
“The current format was lopsided and prolonged and it made no sense not having India and Pakistan series. Teams didn’t play the same number of matches and even the points system was weird. There should have been a 3-month window and everyone should have played against each other.”
The World Test Championship saw a wide discrepancy between the number of Tests played by the participating nations. While India played 17 Tests, Bangladesh played just five.
The teams were ultimately ranked by the percentage of points method to cover for the discrepancy, which took into account the number of points earned by a team with respect to the number of points on offer in total.
Ramiz Raja wants World Test Championship to be a standalone event
Discussing how the World Test Championship can attract more attention, Ramiz Raja wants the competition to be a standalone event. Ramiz Raja feels the move will benefit the cricketing world financially as well.
“Next time when the WTC is held, no cricket should be held at that time, if you want to promote Test cricket and infuse life into it and also attract sponsors to this format. Sponsorship will only come when you will not give sponsors any other option to park their money,”
The inaugural edition of the World Test Championships comes to an end in June. India and New Zealand booked their place in the final by virtue of finishing first and second. They will now take on each other the final at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton from June 18.