Test cricket also needs an IPL, or it may not survive in this T20 era

The ICC’s Chief Executives Committee recently met up in Dubai to decide the fate of the international cricket calendar. In one swift move, it has suggested sweeping changes to the calendar, and one that could have far-reaching implications. There seem to be two motives behind such a move: one, to provide “context” to every cricket match, culminating in a championship – à la other league-based organised sports; and two, to provide some set of fixtures for the lower-ranked teams, and a promise of advancing through the ranks. While both claims are debatable considering the implementation issues, it is worth examining what caused the proposal to take this form over time, especially with respect to Test cricket.