Why former BCCI president rejected two-tier Test cricket system in 2016? Check reason

There are major reports going around that the longest format of the game is about to undergo a significant alteration, only one day after the thrilling Border-Gavaskar Trophy concluded following five gruelling Test matches between Australia and India that drew record audiences. The Indian, Australian, and English cricket boards, as well as the Jay Shah-led International Cricket Council (ICC), are reportedly in discussions to implement a new two-tier structure in Test cricket, according to a report by the Australian media outlet The Age.

Why Ex-BCCI president rejected this in 2016?

Anurag Thakur, the head of the Indian cricket board at the time, rejected the proposal for a two-tier Test format in 2016 when the smaller teams objected. According to Thakur, the two-tier system will unfairly disadvantage minor teams and undermine cricket's spirit.

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"The BCCI is against the two-tier Test system because the smaller countries will lose out and the BCCI wants to take care of them. It is necessary to protect their interests. In the two-tier system, they will lose out on a lot, including revenue and the opportunity to play against top teams. We don’t want that to happen. We want to work in the best interests of world cricket and that is why our team plays against all the countries," then-BCCI president Anurag Thakur said in 2016.

What is the 2-tier format and how it works?

If it is to be believed, the action follows the record-breaking attendance during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which featured five Test matches between Australia and India. With 837,879 spectators in stadiums, the BGT was the most attended non-Ashes series in Australian cricket history. After the Ashes series in 1936–37, 2017–18, and 1946–47, this was the fourth highest attended series in Australian cricket history.

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The top teams in cricket today, including India, Australia, England, South Africa, and New Zealand, will play each other more frequently in the two-tier system. Other teams that are not known for their Test skills, such as Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Ireland, and Zimbabwe, would be relegated to the format's second division.

Teams that have not had much success recently in Test cricket, like Bangladesh and the West Indies, may fall under this category. While the lower-tier teams will only play inside their division, the top-tier clubs will compete against one another in this format. The inclusion of a promotion and relegation clause under this system has not been confirmed.

Possible teams in 2-tier structure

1st Division

South Africa, Australia, England, India, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

2nd Division

West Indies, Bangladesh, Ireland, Afghanistan and Zimbabwe.