Which Country Will Be The Next Test Nation?

[oz_fan]

Scotland

[steds]

Sierra Leone

I don't really think they have sufficient depth to last more than 3 tours.

[Smudge]

You'll see, steds, you'll see...

[gio]

Cricket really isn't big enough here to see Scotland becoming a test playing nation. Plus, we have a tiny population compared to other test playing nations and bad weather so pitches are poor and lost of games are called off. Our best hope is to become a regular ODI side and a good FC side in the (hopefully ever growing) Intercontinental Cup.

[thedarkmullet]

Cricket really isn't big enough here to see Scotland becoming a test playing nation. Plus, we have a tiny population compared to other test playing nations and bad weather so pitches are poor and lost of games are called off. Our best hope is to become a regular ODI side and a good FC side in the (hopefully ever growing) Intercontinental Cup.

You've got a similar population to NZ don't you...about 4 million?

Can't argue about the weather though.

[steds]

You'll see, steds, you'll see...

Counting on the local authorities to round them up quickly?

[pasag]

Just saw a BBC report on cricket in Cuba. Not happening there any time soon, especially seeing as baseball is their national sport.

I think for the addition of any country into Test status, they need to really deserve it, they must be forcefully knocking on the door. The ICC should not include them on the hope that in 10 years they will be competitive. No, they must be good first and then and only then they should be considored for inclusion. Anything else is wishful thinking and dilutes the game.

[33/3from3.3]

Norway of course
Even though i put Holland

[andyc]

http://www.asiancricket.org/h_china0206.cfm

http://www.forbes.com/business/2005/...nacricket.html

http://www.smh.com.au/news/cricket/h...191849511.html

He does have a point. They may have trained umpires, but they've not got many locals playing, and it definitely is just an expat thing at the moment. Though I do agree with SP in saying it'll be China, cause when they want to do something, they do it.

[adharcric]

Of all the non-test playing nations, I'd say the US has the largest and most rapidly growing ex-pat cricket-loving population. Not only that, we actually have youth academies, high school teams and phenoms playing league cricket at 14, 15, 16.

[JASON]

Kenya should realistically be the next Test Nation given they have been waiting at the door for a few years. But the ICC is cautious in not wanting to rush them thru like they did to Bangladesh.

The Asian bias was very evident to me when I learnt that SL was repeatedly knocked out of Test status from 1975 to 1982 despite our performances then being far better than what the Kiwis did to get Test status. There was no one helping our case not even India or Pakistan . And there were people at the MCC (then) who repeatedly sat high and mighty on committees (some of them being Lords and belonging Peerage) and rubbed their nose at the thought of another Asian Test nation.

Zimbabwe got it pretty quickly compared to us and that further convinced me of this Asian bias, but the only thing that flummoxed me with this theory was when Bangladesh got Test status quickly . But that was only because South Africa's Graham Barlow was pretty helpful as their coach and he had some input along with Pakistan using lot of wire pulling to get them in.

[JASON]

Wales could be a Test nation tomorrow if the England and Wales Cricket Board split up and let Wales form a Welsh Cricket Board.

This would also allow several Welsh born players to play Test Cricket as well as the numerous Glamorgan Cricketers who have occasionally harboured anger at a perceived step motherly treatment by ECB with regard to selection for England . (despite the Team actually being England and Wales and not having a single Welshman - bar the occasional Simon Jones, Steve Watkin, Mathew Maynard in ODIs or a Robert Croft few years back.)

[Swervy]

Just saw a BBC report on cricket in Cuba. Not happening there any time soon, especially seeing as baseball is their national sport.

I think for the addition of any country into Test status, they need to really deserve it, they must be forcefully knocking on the door. The ICC should not include them on the hope that in 10 years they will be competitive. No, they must be good first and then and only then they should be considored for inclusion. Anything else is wishful thinking and dilutes the game.

Ideally yes..but it really isnt a realistic thing, the only way a developing team can improve to a level which can be considered good at test standard is by playing test standard teams...and the only way that will happen is by playing test cricket....bit of a catch 22 thing really

[Swervy]

Wales could be a Test nation tomorrow if the England and Wales Cricket Board split up and let Wales form a Welsh Cricket Board.

This would also allow several Welsh born players to play Test Cricket as well as the numerous Glamorgan Cricketers who have occasionally harboured anger at a perceived step motherly treatment by ECB with regard to selection for England . (despite the Team actually being England and Wales and not having a single Welshman - bar the occasional Simon Jones, Steve Watkin, Mathew Maynard in ODIs or a Robert Croft few years back.)

Matty Maynard is a Lancastrian

[JASON]

Matty Maynard is a Lancastrian

Apologies to Maynard and Lancashire .