Test C'ship format allows top 2 teams to play final irrespective of missed games, feels Lorgat

By Baidurjo Bhose
Dubai [UAE], November 1 : The International Cricket Council (ICC) is expected to take a call on the fate of the inaugural edition of the World Test Championship by mid-November. Flagged off with the 2019 Ashes series, the championship has been badly affected by the coronavirus pandemic as bilateral ties have either been cancelled or postponed with an eye on the safety of players.
As the cricketing world takes baby steps towards normalcy -- hugely boosted by the successful hosting of the ongoing Indian Premier League -- and with the final of the championship set for June 2021, former ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat believes that the international body could actually go ahead and have the top two teams on the log fight it out in the final at Lord's.
"I read recently that the ICC believes they can get to the final as planned for the World Test Championship and I hope that it does happen because it will be quite exciting to see the two best Test teams competing in the final. It is going to be very difficult, but you know it is a league table and you might remember the point system is worked out (in a way they have calculated) doesn't matter how many Tests you have played.
"Everybody doesn't play the same, but the average number of points that you earn will determine where you sit on the log. So, if there is some series that has not been completed, there is still a log with two teams sitting at the top. So, it is possible that ICC may say that regardless of not all the Tests having being played, we will take the teams in the top two and they will go and play the final," he told ANI.
The ICC has said that the matter will be discussed and clarity will be got soon. "It will be discussed at the Cricket Committee and Chief Executives Committee meetings in mid-November and we should have more clarity post then," an ICC official said.
Asked if there could be a toss-up between either splitting points for the cancelled games or only adding points from games completed to see who sits at the top of the table at the end of the cycle, the official said: "Both will be discussed."
Lorgat has himself gone on to add that the successful hosting of the IPL in UAE is a big boost for the game. "The IPL is a big tournament played over two months. It is a huge event and if they can successfully host the IPL as the organisers have shown here in the UAE, it is a big boost," he said while talking about the upcoming Abu Dhabi T10 league.