LONDON: The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) aims to reintroduce a five-match Test series against teams beyond Australia and India to boost interest in the format, with Pakistan and South Africa considered potential opponents.
According to the English newspaper ‘The Telegraph,’ the first expanded series beyond Australia and India could be played in the summer of 2028.
The report stated that the idea would reignite interest in the Test game, barring the series involving the other three members: Australia, India, and England.
“The England & Wales Cricket Board believes that series of greater length would help to cultivate interest in the Test game, beyond series involving other members of the ‘big three.”
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“It will show off the format’s unique capacity to develop narratives over multiple games,” the report said.
Additionally, the report suggested that more Test matches in a series will encourage other teams to pay attention to the longer format.
“The allure of touring the country for longer series might also encourage other teams to give greater emphasis to the Test game,” the report added.
The report highlighted that more matches in a more extended format series will create more of a sense of occasion.
The report asserted that Pakistan and South Africa are the teams that could be considered for the series due to their historic rivalry with England and their support in the country.
For the unversed, England’s last five-match Test series against Pakistan dates back to 1992, ending in a 2-1 defeat at home against the Javed Miandad-led side.
However, Pakistan most recently visited for longer than three Tests in 2016, when they sealed a 2-2 draw in their four-match series by winning at The Oval.
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