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An Australian-led initiative aimed at retaining top players in Test cricket is likely to be adopted by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

As reported by the Sydney Morning Herald, with major cricketing nations increasingly struggling to compete financially with lucrative T20 leagues like the Indian Premier League, Australia, in collaboration with India and England, has developed a plan to strengthen Test cricket.

The plan proposes the creation of a fund that would guarantee a minimum Test payment for all players, estimated at around $US10,000, and cover the costs of overseas tours for financially weaker nations.

Cricket Australia Chairman Mike Baird, who first introduced the idea in January, expressed his excitement over its impending adoption, telling the Herald "it’s fantastic to see some momentum behind the Test match fund,” Baird said. “We need to remove barriers and ensure that Test cricket remains the pinnacle of the sport, preserving its rich history and legacy alongside the newer forms of white-ball cricket.”

The initiative has believed to have attracted strong support from Jay Shah, Secretary of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) who is set to be formally elected as ICC President next week.

In a recent interview with Indian media, Shah advised "there should be a dedicated fund for Tests, whether it’s $5 million, $10 million, or more.

“Hosting teams for five-day Tests is costly, so we are preparing for it. If the (ICC) board agrees, we are ready to implement it.”

As reported, Shah has no qualms about India taking almost 40% of the ICC dividend, driven largely by the vast television rights India generates for being part of world events. By contrast, Zimbabwe would receive about 3%.

The fund is unlikely to directly benefit the three wealthiest cricket nations -I ndia, Australia and England - since they already pay their players well. For example, Pat Cummins, Australia’s Test and one-day captain, earned about $3 million last year from Cricket Australia, with most regular Australian players earning between $1 million and $2 million annually.

The Herald advised that amount of money the ICC can allocate to Test cricket may hinge on resolving a dispute with broadcaster Star. Star’s $US3 billion bid for TV and digital rights over four years was made under the assumption it would sell a portion of the deal to ZeeTV. However, following the collapse of ZeeTV’s merger with Sony, Star was left to bear the full cost. Star’s unease with the financial burden was highlighted earlier this year when it unsuccessfully requested to move the T20 World Cup from the USA and the Caribbean to India.

The push to establish a Test fund gained traction after South Africa fielded a significantly weakened squad for their tour of New Zealand earlier this year. The country’s cricket administrators, having prioritised their T20 league over national commitments, found themselves unable to select their best players.

Image credit: Hart Sport.

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