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Strauss gives go-ahead for points system
- Updated: May 18, 2016
A desire to ensure the continued relevance of international cricket – and especially Test cricket – is at the heart of the ECB’s decision to introduce a points system to ascertain the winners of international series this summer.
This summer, in a trial announced by the ECB, points will be awarded for games in each format against the tourists, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. The winner of each Super Series, as the ECB is calling it, will be the side which accumulates the most points from the three formats combined.
Adopting an idea first used in the women’s Ashes in 2013, four points will be awarded for a Test win and two for a draw. Two points will be awarded for victory in white-ball cricket, with one awarded in case of a tie.
Although there is not, as yet, a trophy for the winners and prize money amounts to just £25,000 for each Super Series – not much in today’s sporting terms when split between a couple of dozen squad members – the ECB hope the initiative will encourage more interest and coverage of the sport.
“We know that Test cricket is well supported in this country,” Andrew Strauss, the director of England cricket, said. “We know that every English player takes the format incredibly seriously and I can’t see that changing. But we also know that Test cricket is being challenged around the world and I certainly feel a responsibility – I think everyone involved in the game should feel a responsibility – to make sure it remains relevant.
“The rationale is that the game of cricket is evolving unbelievably quickly. We feel responsibility to ensure the international game develops and evolves and, central to that, is context and relevance for every game of cricket. We believe the Super Series will provide that context and relevance by connecting the formats and ensuring that every game counts for something more than just itself.
“The advantages of this are that, first of all, there is that context and, secondly, fans of a certain format will hopefully feel more connected to the other formats. Also our players in very different and quite separate teams will feel more connected to each other so two separate white-ball and red-ball teams will be connected by something greater than their own immediate interests.”
Strauss admits that this summer will, in effect, be a trial period for the idea. He has not, as yet, spoken to the cricket boards in Bangladesh or India about the possibility of utilising the …
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