R Bright: Test matches may get championship (9 Jun 1998)

9 June 1998

Test matches may get championship

By Richard Bright

A TEST match World Championship could be closer to reality following an International Cricket Council meeting at Lord's.

David Richards, the ICC's chief executive, said the council's executive committee will on Friday study several options for staging such an event.

The issue of a Test World Championship is likely to dominate the committee's time and Richards said: "I think we have got a particular package which is interesting and which we think will go some way to addressing the issue of making sure Test cricket doesn't get lost amid the hurley-burly of modern-day international cricket."

Today, Allan Border and Martin Crowe, former captains of Australia and New Zealand respectively, will present to Ali Bacher's new development committee an initiative to amalgamate the short-form versions of the game - Super Eight and Cricket Max - which have already proved popular.

Warwickshire opener Andy Moles will be out of action for at least a further month as he needs another operation to repair the left Achilles tendon injury he suffered at Chelmsford last August. Several attempts at a comeback this season have been postponed.

New Zealand paceman Simon Doull is to return home from Sri Lanka after failing a fitness test.

During the first Test against Sri Lanka, which New Zealand won, Doull aggravated a previous groin injury and bowled only three overs in the second innings.

Source :: Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk)