Test cricket

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Test match between South Africa and England in January 2005

Test cricket is the most important and respected form of competition in cricket . There are international matches between national teams that have been expressly approved by the International Cricket Council for such matches.

Eligible teams

Members of the International Cricket Council (ICC):
  • Full Members with Test Status (12)
  • Associate Members with One-Day-International-Status (8)
  • Associate Members (85)
  • Former or suspended members (7)
  • Non-members (15)

    • The International Cricket Council decides on the eligibility (test status) of teams. The prerequisite is that cricket is firmly established as a sport in the respective country and is played professionally at a high level.

    Test status are currently (date of the first official test in brackets):

    Before 1947 India also included the present-day states of Pakistan and Bangladesh; Pakistan again before 1971 also Bangladesh. Due to apartheid , South Africa was completely boycotted by the other national teams from 1971 to 1991. England also represented Ireland and Scotland until the early 1990s; since then England and Wales. Zimbabwe did not play tests from 2004 to 2005 because of significant domestic issues that also gripped the national cricket federation. Again, no tests have been played since 2006. The first test was then carried out again in August 2011.

    On June 22, 2017 it was announced that Afghanistan and Ireland had been named full members of the ICC and would therefore receive test status in the future.

    Test matches

    Test cricket is played in games (test matches), which now have a duration of five days, previously often with a day of rest in between. In the past there were also games without any time limit. The so-called “timeless test” between South Africa and England lasted a total of nine days in 1939 and then had to be canceled as a draw .

    Test matches are always first-class matches . Two innings per team are therefore played with no over limit. Every game day is divided into three two-hour sessions, which are interrupted by a lunch break of 40 minutes and a tea break of 20 minutes.

    Although they are in no way consistent with modern television viewing, the tests are broadcast live on both television and radio. The BBC's radio broadcasts , which are broadcast under the name Test Match Special , have cult status among cricket fans because of their special format.

    Competitions

    Tests, in turn, are usually embedded in a series of two to six games, so that the corresponding duels can drag on over a longer period of time. A team usually visits another country for several weeks or months. In addition to testing it several one-day internationals (be One-Day Internationals ) and other first-class matches played since 2005 Twenty20 -Internationals.

    The most important test match series are the so-called Ashes , in which England and Australia have been playing for an urn-shaped cup since 1882. Nowadays this series takes place twice in four years.

    In the past, the series were organized in coordination between the national associations involved and the umpires were provided by the home association. In order to enable the weaker teams to test against the large and financially attractive associations, the organization is now being carried out by the International Cricket Council. This maintains a kind of world ranking list ( test championship ) in which all international matches are continuously calculated and the order of the nations is given. For this list, each association has to play against all other associations over a period of six years.

    Tournaments between three teams have so far only taken place extremely rarely.

    Since 2008 the ICC has been planning to let the four best test nations compete against each other in a test world championship. This was supposed to replace the ICC Champions Trophy planned to be held in England in 2013 . However, after no agreement was reached with the media partners of the ICC, the first event was postponed to 2017. After they could not agree on a format for 2017 either, this was also replaced by the Champions Trophy . On October 13th 2017 it was decided to introduce a test league. This should let the best nine test teams (i.e. excluding Afghanistan, Ireland and Zimbabwe) play against each other in a fixed format from 2019 within two years. The two best teams should then host a final in April 2021.

    See also

    supporting documents

    1. ↑ Firdose Moonda: Taylor hails historic win ( English ) Cricinfo. August 8, 2011. Retrieved November 1, 2011.
    2. ↑ Afghanistan, Ireland get Test status ( English ) Cricinfo. June 22, 2017. Accessed June 23, 2017.
    3. ↑ Stalemate in the Timeless Test ( English ) Cricinfo. August 21, 2011. Retrieved November 1, 2011.
    4. ↑ Lorgat hints at Test championship in 2013 ( English ) Cricinfo. July 16, 2010. Retrieved August 21, 2011.
    5. ↑ ICC could use 'timeless' Test for World Championship final ( English ) Cricinfo. July 18, 2011. Retrieved August 21, 2011.
    6. ↑ Test Championship not until 2017 - Lorgat ( English ) Cricinfo. November 14, 2011. Retrieved January 6, 2012.
    7. ↑ No Test Championship, Champions Trophy to continue: ICC ( English ) Zee News. February 8, 2014. Retrieved October 13, 2017.
    8. ↑ Daniel Brettig: Test, ODI leagues approved by ICC Board ( English ) Cricinfo. October 13, 2017. Retrieved October 13, 2017.

    Web links

    Commons : Test Cricket  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files