Test cricket will die unless changes happen, warns Holder

CMC – Former West Indies Test captain Jason Holder has issued a stern warning about the future of Test cricket, contending the format could soon die if the International Cricket Council (ICC) calendar was not restructured to create a window which allowed for the availability of the best players.

The 32-year-old all-rounder also said a more equitable system of ICC funding was required in order to prevent smaller nations from being marginalised while the richer countries like India and Australia continued to prosper.

Holder was speaking in the wake of his decision to skip the two-Test tour of Australia to focus on the franchise Twenty20 leagues, a move undertaken by several elite players in recent years, which has led to questions over the sustainability of the longer format.

“Honestly, if we continue in this manner, Test cricket will die. It’s sad, but it’s true, based on the current structure,” Holder said in an interview published by the Delhi-based Hindustan Times.

“You’ve got the big three who practically command all the revenue regarding the disbursement of ICC funds. And it’s difficult for smaller territories such as the West Indies to compete.

“We just don’t have the financial resources that they do. We’re struggling to even stay afloat in terms of cash flow. And it’s hard to develop our facilities and structures the way they’re meant to be.

“And with the little finances that we have. . . pretty much all the money we get goes straight back up into covering expenses and debt.”

He added: “So, it’s a difficult one. The only way you can honestly see Test cricket being saved is . . . if you have a window for Test cricket in a year so that you can have your best players available to play there. And on top of that, you need to compensate players fairly.

“It can’t be a situation where Australia and India are up there, and all the other teams are way, way down below. So, when you’ve got a situation – a dilemma – similar to mine, where you can play a Test series for X amount and a franchise for three times the amount, you will constantly have players going toward more money.

“If we could come up with a model where you can have a minimum wage where you can’t fall below a particular threshold, it would actually incentivise players to say, ‘well, look, this is the benefit of me playing Test cricket.’”

Previously, the Indian Premier League and the Big Bash League represented the major franchise tournaments on the calendar but the emergence of the likes of the ILT20, the SA20, Bangladesh Premier League, the Pakistan Super League and the Sri Lanka Premier League have led to increased economic opportunities for players.

Holder, who led West Indies in 37 of his 64 Tests, has already done stints in the IPL, Big Bash, the SA20 and the ILT20, and has become a key figure for the Caribbean side in T20 Internationals.

He said ultimately, cricket was a livelihood for players, and it was important they maximised their earning potential during their careers.

“At the end of the day, it’s still a job. As much as we love to play cricket and entertain the fans . . . for us, it’s still a profession,” he explained.

“Players have their own situations and scenarios regarding family dynamics, and you’ve got to provide for your family.

“So, at the end of the day, I’ve got to give myself the best chance to make the most of it in the short tenure that I have in professional sports.

“The only other thing I would say is that you need to find a window, find specific pockets where there’s no clash with domestic leagues.”

Holder is currently campaigning for Dubai Capitals in the ILT20 in the United Arab Emirates. (CMC)