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If a minnow makes a semi final of a WC, should they be fastracked to test status?

mr_mister

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
I know Kenya did this in 2003 but it was under dubious circumstances, it was full of washouts and more glaringly, forfeits. Think they only had 1 or 2 true upsets though full credit to them Kenya making a WC semi is still a miracle and no minnow has really come close to matching it


but say some team randomly puts in a sick performance one WC, just turns up every time and beats the big names to the point you can't really call them upsets, would they just get rewarded with test status after it or still have to jump through some hoops
 

fredfertang

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
They should certainly get full ODI status, but as West Indies regularly demonstrate Test cricket is a completely different kettle of scaly aquatic creatures so for me they'd need to do a lot more to get Test status
 

mr_mister

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
meh it's still the same players generally and it's international cricket, the WC is still the biggest deal in cricket
 

andruid

Cricketer Of The Year
I know Kenya did this in 2003 but it was under dubious circumstances, it was full of washouts and more glaringly, forfeits. Think they only had 1 or 2 true upsets though full credit to them Kenya making a WC semi is still a miracle and no minnow has really come close to matching it


but say some team randomly puts in a sick performance one WC, just turns up every time and beats the big names to the point you can't really call them upsets, would they just get rewarded with test status after it or still have to jump through some hoops
What amuses me is that the contrived lengthly group stage and the points carry over shenanigans which got Kenya in the semis were brought in specifically to prevent outsiders like Kenya out of the business end of World Cups.


That aside, outside of the intercontinental cup, there is no metric for defining readiness for test cricket. Even that might not matter if the latest ICC cop out goes through.
 

TheJediBrah

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Well look at how **** Kenya are now and imagine how bad it would be if they'd been playing Tests since 2003
 

NZTailender

I can't believe I ate the whole thing
I like how minnows are expected to somehow drag themselves up to Test level by playing other teams who aren't Test standard in the long format (i.e. FC cup things). No amount of ODIs will ever really get them accustomed to Test conditions. I reckon daft pre-series warm ups, in which the home sides usually field a bunch of young no names so the touring team doesn't get a decent challenge, be replaced with one off unofficial Tests between the touring side and a minnow nation.

It'd be beneficial in that:
The touring side would get a warm-up against an opposition who are keen and more quality than a Essex U-19 3rd XI
The minnow would play actual Test quality opposition over 4-5 days

Only other potential option I can think of is the winner of the Intercontinental Cup playing a one off Test series (with the status to be decided after the series whether or not it gets added as official Test matches and statistics, yet without giving the side full Test status) against a side who isn't Zimbabwe, Bangladesh or West Indies. Or at least, it could rotate with each cup who the side plays. Or even have it staggered, so the winner plays, say, the number one or two side, the runner up players a lower ranked, etc.
 

Red

The normal awards that everyone else has
Test cricket status should have nothing to do with WC or any ODI performances.

There should be a "test reserves" league however. Test nations (England, Australia, India South Africa) could all field their second XI. Associate teams (Ireland, Canada, Hong Kong etc) could all play against each other. If the associate teams can regularly beat A teams, this should be an indication they might be ready for test status and the process could happen.

These matches could be played in regional areas in Australia or England etc. Areas like Canberra, Woolongong, Ballarat, Bendigo in Australia would massively benefit from staging these games, and I'd hazard you'd get big crowds.
 

jimmy101

Cricketer Of The Year
Although I'd love to see big crowds. It's hard to see all that many people turning out to see Australia a vs Hong Kong in bendigo. I'd imagine matches such as these would recieve virtually no media attention or promotion.

Casual cricket fans in Australia don't even know most of the players in the Australian team. It's hard to see them getting excited about a minnow they've never even heard of.
 
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brockley

International Captain
Bangladesh got Test status for less.
Won the Associate play offs,and bt Pakistan in a very questionable game.
Dalmiya was president then.
A look at Ireland on the way down in a massive way,they play Afghanistan in India,major turners,and if Afghanistan win then they take the lead.
Irish mainstayers are failing now got a bit old in the tooth,time for the next generation.And their is not a lot of Irish coming up in county first or 2nds there is Scotland in counties and 2nds coming up.
Their is talk Porterfield will be shown the door and thats after Balbirnie,Dockerill and Nial O'brien we're shown the door.
 

TheJediBrah

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Although I'd love to see big crowds. It's hard to see all that many people turning out to see Australia a vs Hong Kong in bendigo. I'd imagine matches such as these would recieve virtually no media attention or promotion.

Casual cricket fans in Australia don't even know most of the players in the Australian team. It's hard to see them getting excited about a minnow they've never even heard of.
The biggest cricket "stadium" in Bendigo has a capacity of 900 people. Not even saying they'd get that many in for such a game.

Not exactly big crowds
 

Daemon

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The biggest cricket "stadium" in Bendigo has a capacity of 900 people. Not even saying they'd get that many in for such a game.

Not exactly big crowds
Yeah you don't even get 900 people on a stream watching associate games, hard to see many people turn up live.

Definitely support the idea of a tour game being played by them regardless.
 

Red

The normal awards that everyone else has
Have been a few games like this in my hometown, and there's been around 1000 attend. Especially if scheduled in cricket season over a weekend when the local comp has a bye for it.
 

Burgey

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Tbf India and SL had made and won WC finals as minnows in 83 and 96 respectively, but for some reason had already played tests before then.
 

andruid

Cricketer Of The Year
Well look at how **** Kenya are now and imagine how bad it would be if they'd been playing Tests since 2003
If Kenya had gotten Test status in 2003 the game would have benefited from a flood of financing and exposure that having full membership and a seat on the FTP grants teams with test status. They might not have won much but the domestic game would be much better founded
 

jimmy101

Cricketer Of The Year
I'm pretty sure Kenya still have a First Class system don't they?

They more than deserved Test status in '03. They had ticked all the boxes. They were a competitive squad, they had a FC system, they had a long history in the game & a great home base in the Nairobi Gymkhana. Not only that, but 2003 was their third World Cup in a row. I remember people talking about Tikolo & Odoyo like they could've walked into almost any Test team in the world. I'll also never forget Kennedy Obuya smashing the aussies around in an ODI in Nairobi in 2004, I think. It was a tri-series also featuring Pakistan (memory is stretching a bit).

Two things stuffed Kenya up. A lack of revenue generating ability (at least in comparison to Bangladesh) & a cricket board that pissed alot of the ICC's funding away.
 

andruid

Cricketer Of The Year
I'm pretty sure Kenya still have a First Class system don't they?

They more than deserved Test status in '03. They had ticked all the boxes. They were a competitive squad, they had a FC system, they had a long history in the game & a great home base in the Nairobi Gymkhana. Not only that, but 2003 was their third World Cup in a row. I remember people talking about Tikolo & Odoyo like they could've walked into almost any Test team in the world. I'll also never forget Kennedy Obuya smashing the aussies around in an ODI in Nairobi in 2004, I think. It was a tri-series also featuring Pakistan (memory is stretching a bit).

Two things stuffed Kenya up. A lack of revenue generating ability (at least in comparison to Bangladesh) & a cricket board that pissed alot of the ICC's funding away.

That league washed out ages ago.
The 2003 World Cup was meant to be an opportunity for the game to break out of a few enclaves in Kenya's big cities. In stead internal turf wars almost killed the game off entirely.
 

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