Fewer Tests would be unfair to smaller nations: Irish

Johannesburg:

Proposal to reduce the number of international Test matches would be an unfair move towards smaller nations, who are also involved in the process, feels Tony Irish, chief executive of the South African Cricket Players' Association (SACPA).

"The rich will get richer and the poor poorer," Irish told the Afrikaans daily Beeld here today in response to a request by the BCCI to Cricket South Africa (CSA) to reduce the scheduled five one dayers in South Africa in February and March next year to three to accommodate two Tests as well.

The two bodies are still in negotiations to sort out the issue.

Commentators here were of the view that if the ICC supported ideas, such as that of BCCI to abandon Test cricket on home turf, the other top three countries might also initiate the same move to play less cricket against the smaller nations, reasoning out non-profitability.

Irish expressed concern that the future of all three international forms of the game - Tests, one-day and Twenty20 - would be endangered if assurances were not given to the smaller countries that they would always remain strong contenders.

The four largest and wealthiest countries in international cricket - India, Australia, South Africa and England - had made more money out of matches against each other than the smaller members, leading to more games between the top four countries in recent years.