There have been a few media reports that the actual calendar is going to be changed soon, so its time I published my ideas and allow the ICC to make it happen.
Its in a large document here, but the key points are outlined below.
The main issue is that I want Test Cricket to be meaningful which in turn makes it far more compelling viewing. Every match in the World Test Championship series will mean something, because there will be a definitive table of who is the best, rather than the current table which while important doesn't really mean anything.
ICC Test Rankings (ICC website). Does it mean anything?
OK, so India is apparently the best team this week. What about next week?
What is in the New Calendar?
TESTSThere will be a World Test Championship (WTC) which involves 2 home and 2 away matches between each team in a group over 2 years. Two divisions will exist so the best play the best and the rest play the rest. Every 2 years a champion is declared (every 2 years in February) from the table (without a final), with relegation from top division and promotion from the second. Whether each group is 5 or 6 teams is to be determined.
WTC matches will be set WTC blocks of 3 weeks 6 times a year, 2 test matches being held in each of these periods. Overall there will be 16 matches for each team played (8 per year) so not every team will play in every WTC block. Matches between teams in different divisions may be arranged separately that don't carry WTC points.
T20
Where possible Internationals won't be scheduled when domestic cricket matches are occurring. There will be no internationals while the IPL is being run, with the number of international players allowed in that competition being increased. This makes the IPL the unambiguous number 1 domestic competition with no clashes, and player rosters remaining for a whole season.
The Ashes
If Australia and England are good enough to be in the top 6 teams, they'll get to play twice at home and twice away every 2 years. The winner could be determined over each WTC 2 year season, rather than once every 4 in each respective country. The reality is that Australia and England need to compromise for the benefit of all nations, and ensure that the tests they play against everyone else are worth a lot more.
Why its A great Calendar?
INTEGRITYThe incentive to rest players, or perform poorly for benefit (e.g. spot fixing) is significantly lessened when every game means something, not to mention increasing fan engagement.
TEST CRICKET BACK ON TOP
Test cricket will have a lot more interest in it when every game means something. Every two years at the end of the season there will be great interest in the overall winner, and who is relegated and promoted. If 6 team divisions were adopted, 6 exciting test matches could be held at the same time in the final week with an exciting build-up.
NO CLASHES
There will be no clashes between the biggest competitions, because they'll be played at once, meaning the best players can play in them from start to finish without a need to choose. Test match Cricket, ODIs, T20 Internationals, IPL would all be immune from losing players, meaning the whole world is focused on the same thing at the same time.
REST PERIOD
Everybody get a rest for 2 months every 2 years at the end of the season. That's something the players should be pretty happy about.
The Calendar
An example is below for the next 4 years for T20 and Test Cricket. There are few gaps which means that there is the capability of individual nations to make deals about tours around the core fixtures, and add the ODIs to it. Rumour has it the ICC is looking at a separate system of 12 nations playing ODIs against each other every 2 years, so the remaining blocks can be divided up for this purpose, logically with a week at the end of each WTC block.| Week of Season |
Week Start (2017-18)
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2017-18
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2018-19
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2018-19
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2019-20
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1
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28 Apr 17
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IPL
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IPL
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IPL
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IPL
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2
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05 May 17
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3
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12 May 17
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4
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19 May 17
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5
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26 May 17
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6
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02 Jun 17
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7
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09 Jun 17
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8
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16 Jun 17
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9
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23 Jun 17
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10
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30 Jun 17
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WTC Block 1:
BYES |
BYES |
Eng v NZ
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Eng v Ind
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11
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07 Jul 17
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12
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14 Jul 17
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13
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21 Jul 17
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14
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28 Jul 17
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15
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04 Aug 17
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WTC Block 2:
India v Aus Pak v SAf |
India v NZ
Aus v SAf |
Eng v Aus
India v SAf |
Eng v SAf
India v Aus |
16
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11 Aug 17
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17
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18 Aug 17
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18
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25 Aug 17
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19
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01 Sep 17
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20
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08 Sep 17
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21
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15 Sep 17
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22
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22 Sep 17
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23
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29 Sep 17
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24
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06 Oct 17
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25
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13 Oct 17
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26
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20 Oct 17
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WTC Block 3:
Pak v NZ SAf v Aus |
NZ v Aus
Pak v Ind |
Aus v SAf
Ind v Eng |
NZ v Aus
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27
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27 Oct 17
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28
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03 Nov 17
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29
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10 Nov 17
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30
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17 Nov 17
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WTC Block 4:
NZ v India Aus v Pak |
India v SAf
NZ v Pak |
SAf v Aus
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SAf v NZ
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31
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24 Nov 17
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32
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01 Dec 17
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||||
33
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08 Dec 17
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T20 (NZ, Pak, SL, Ban)
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T20(NZ, Pak, SL, Ban)
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T20(NZ, Pak, SL, Ban)
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T20(NZ, Pak, SL, Ban)
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34
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15 Dec 17
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T20 (NZ, Pak, SL, Ban)
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T20 (NZ, Pak, SL, Ban)
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T20 (NZ, Pak, SL, Ban)
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T20 (NZ, Pak, SL, Ban)
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35
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22 Dec 17
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WTC Block 5:
Aus v NZ SAf v India |
Aus v India
SAf v Pak |
Aus v NZ
SAf v Eng |
Aus v Eng
SAf v Ind |
36
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29 Dec 17
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37
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05 Jan 18
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38
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12 Jan 18
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T20 (Aus)
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T20 (Aus)
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T20 (Aus)
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T20 (Aus)
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39
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19 Jan 18
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T20(Aus)
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T20(Aus)
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T20(Aus)
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T20(Aus)
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40
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26 Jan 18
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T20(Aus)
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T20(Aus)
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T20(Aus)
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T20(Aus)
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41
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02 Feb 18
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T20(Aus)
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T20(Aus)
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T20(Aus)
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T20(Aus)
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42
|
09 Feb 18
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WTC Block 6:
NZ v SAf Ind v Pak |
Pak v Aus
SAf v NZ |
NZ v SAf
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Aus v Ind
NZ v Eng |
43
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16 Feb 18
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44
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23 Feb 18
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45
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02 Mar 18
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WORLD CUP (T20)
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Rest Period
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WORLD CUP
(ODI) |
Rest Period
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46
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09 Mar 18
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47
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16 Mar 18
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48
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23 Mar 18
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49
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30 Mar 18
|
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50
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06 Apr 18
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51
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13 Apr 18
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52
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20 Apr 18
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