Cricketing greats in the Caribbean are trying to find a solution to stop the slide of West Indies cricket following the embarrassing defeat by 209 runs in three days by England in the historic first day / night Test at Egdbaston, London last week.
West Indies icon Michael Holding has been suggesting a two-tier system in world cricket and is making another call for the system following the West Indies humiliating defeat. The regional team lost 19 wickets to collapse in three days for scores of 168 and 137.
Holding, who is a long-serving broadcaster on Sky Sports cricket commentary, said that since this Test started he has been talking about the two-tier system for years.
He asked, “what is the point of having a team outclassing another team like this?’
“I played Test cricket for 12 years. I never played a Test match against Sri Lanka because at that time Sri Lanka just weren’t good enough to play against the West Indies,” he said,
“What is the point of having a contest like this? It is not good for cricket,” he added.
Last year, the International Cricket Council (ICC) shelved a proposal for the two-tier system which would have seen the top seven teams in the world in the top division and the five lower-placed sides pushed into a second tier.
West Indies, currently ranked 8th in Tests, would campaign in the second tier along with the likes of minnows Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.
Holder, a legendary member of the fearsome Windies fast bowling quartet of the 1970s and 80s, said the current team lacked the quality to properly compete against England, but needed to get their selection right for the second Test next week. It is 17 years now since West Indies has won a Test in England.
