‘Really positive step’: New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson backs Test Championship

Kane Williamson is the first international captain to come out and throw his weight behind the biggest reform by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in recent times: the Test Championship and ODI League.

In a major overhaul, the cricket’s governing body on Friday announced that a 9-team Test and 13-team ODI League will start from 2019 and 2020, respectively.

While the Test League will culminate with a World Test League Championship Final, the ODI League will act as a platform for a direct entry into the ICC World Cup, thereby adding more value to every match.

“It’s a really positive step forward to have a championship to give Test cricket a little more meaning,” Williamson said in Mumbai on Sunday. “It’s great for the viewers as well. When we do start that, there will be a lot more clarity around rankings. The viewer can see where teams are progressing and what each game stands for,” he added.

The Test League will comprise nine teams that will play each other in six series over two years starting 2019, three of them at home and three away. Every result will earn teams points that will determine the top two sides at the end of the two-year …read more