Five or six countries may still play Test cricket, according to Graeme Smith

In the future, only five or six nations with strong teams could play Test cricket, according to the former captain of South Africa, Graeme Smith. Smith, who is now Cricket South Africa’s T20 league commissioner, said on Sky Sports on day three of the first Test between South Africa and England at Lord’s that South Africa “have no intent to not play Test cricket,” but that the format appears destined to shrink overall.

“With Test cricket, it’s only iconic nations or big cricketing nations that are contributing right now,” Smith said. “I think it’s fantastic that India has taken Test cricket seriously, particularly under Virat Kohli. They are pioneers in this regard. However, as long as we have competitive teams, you will not have 10, 11, 12, 13, or 14 competitive teams. There may only be five or six nations that play Test cricket at this level.”

Smith’s remarks follow the ICC’s new FTP, which states that South Africa will play fewer Tests in the next cycle (2023-2027) than in the current one (2019-2023), and there will be no three-Test series in the 2023-2025 World Test Championship (WTC). CSA CEO Pholetsi Moseki explained that their calendar was constrained by their new T20 league and the financial implications of hosting Test cricket, but they were aware that their sparse fixture list would cause disappointment. The South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA) was one of the first to express their displeasure.

“We are frustrated by the lack of Test cricket. It is the ultimate test of your cricket ability for young players “SACA CEO Andrew Breetze told ESPNcricinfo. “Test cricket is becoming more diluted as fewer Tests are played and more two-Test series are played. If you look at what FICA and SACA have been saying for the last five years, we said that the ICC should take ownership of this by looking at how we balance bilateral cricket with T20 events, and that if they don’t, the non-big three will diminish Test cricket. We’ve arrived. That is disappointing.”

Despite this, SACA and its members (South African domestic and international players) will support the new T20 league because they recognise the critical role it will play in ensuring the sustainability of South African cricket. “We back the league. The league is critical to the survival of South African cricket “Breetzke explained. “In South Africa, there are three sources of revenue for cricket: broadcast revenue, sponsorship revenue, and ICC revenue. Two of them are declining, and as a result, we need to find another source of revenue, which is the T20 league.”

Broadcast revenue and sponsorships are the two revenue streams that are contracting, due in part to the state of the global game and economy, and in part to CSA’s recent administrative meltdown. “If you don’t play India enough, your broadcast revenue will suffer,” Breetzke explained. “Sponsorship revenue is up for two reasons: we’re not playing as much and the last five years at CSA.” The sad reality is that no one wants to participate in our cricket. There is a lot of work for CSA – and to their credit, they are doing it – to improve their work and get sponsors. This is more important than ever. The market has shifted since Covid. You are not receiving Standard Bank sponsorships worth 18 million Rand per year. The market is more focused on short-term sponsorship agreements, smaller sponsorship, and more targeted sponsorship. That is where CSA needs to improve.”

The six teams in the CSA’s new league have all been purchased by IPL owners, bringing unprecedented amounts of money into the country’s game. “It will undoubtedly be an investment in our game that South African cricket desperately needed,” Smith said. “The pressures on nations like New Zealand, the West Indies, and South Africa to remain financially sustainable in order to compete with England, India, and the rest of the world are enormous. South Africa, or any of the top nations, cannot afford to fade away, in my opinion.”

When asked if he saw any disadvantages to private ownership, Smith stated that he did not. “Cricket South Africa remains the league’s largest shareholder.” The investment in the South African game will continue. It is not as if people are coming in and stealing cricket from the federation. A significant part of this private ownership was that the owners had to consider grassroots programmes, development programmes, and how they would impact them. Hopefully, we’ll see a talent pool that continues to grow and benefit cricket as a whole. We needed long-term collaborators. They are not looking to make a buck right away; instead, they are willing to invest in South Africa and grow this opportunity alongside us. And I believe the most significant difference for us is that the money will continue to flow back into the game.”

Given all of the new league’s promises, CSA has been willing to put aside other commitments, such as future Test engagements and forfeiting World Cup Super League matches in Australia next January. Smith described it as a necessary sacrifice that was much smaller than it appears. “The league will be the priority for four weeks out of the year. “If we hadn’t done this, I believe South African cricket would have lost eight to ten players to the UAE league,” he said. “People also look at those three One-Day Internationals incorrectly.” Yes, South Africa has struggled in ODIs, and it should never be in this position. However, South Africa’s decision to spend the summer in Australia puts them in a financial bind. It’s the equivalent of asking England not to play during the summer. The commitment made by South African cricket to travel for the three Test matches is beneficial to the game. It’s not something that happens very often.”

South Africa will not travel to Australia for Tests in the next FTP, and they will play fewer ODIs than any other Full Member, as well as the third-fewest bilateral matches overall, after Ireland and Zimbabwe. This figure may rise as a result of ongoing discussions with other members.

Moseki stated that the CSA was looking into ways to organise more ODIs before the 2027 World Cup, but SACA hoped that additional fixtures could be secured before then as well. “It has forced CSA to go out and negotiate additional white-ball matches,” Breetzke explained. “There is a negotiation for additional matches if you look at that FTP and look at areas there. Relationships will be critical in determining whether we can improve our FTP with white-ball cricket.”