In order to preserve the game’s oldest format, Cricket Australia chief Todd Greenberg has issued a serious warning regarding the financial viability of Test cricket and urged administrators to take into account a leaner, more focused schedule.
Speaking about the future of red-ball cricket, Greenberg emphasized that smaller cricketing nations that are already having financial difficulties could face financial ruin if the calendar is overloaded.
“Scarcity in Test cricket is our friend, not our foe,” Greenberg said, as quoted by BBC.
Greenberg reflected on the financial issues that countries may face
“I don’t think everyone in world cricket needs to aspire to play Test cricket, and that might be OK. We’re literally trying to send countries bankrupt if we force them to try to play Test cricket.”
His remarks coincide with the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) investigation of structural changes, such as a potential two-tier Test system, to make matches more competitive and profitable.
Greenberg said that in order to ensure their continued success, the sport’s most recognizable competitions, like the Ashes and the series involving the big three, India, England, and Australia should be given more priority and funding. He cited the long-standing appeal and profitability of the 2025-26 Ashes series in Australia, which is just 100 days away, as an illustration of where resources ought to be focused.
Greenberg called India vs England Test cricket at its best.
Greenberg compared the recent England-India series to one-sided matches elsewhere, but he also acknowledged the series’ high points, calling it Test cricket at its best.
He claimed that New Zealand’s innings-and-359-run thumping of Zimbabwe demonstrated the competitive and commercial divide that exists in the current Test scene, while Australia’s victories in the recently finished West Indies series had the lowest margin at 133 runs. He argued that these mismatches don’t do much to draw spectators or make money, particularly in areas where cricket finds it difficult to compete with other forms of entertainment.
“We need to make sure we invest in the right spaces to play Test cricket where it means something and has jeopardy,” he said. “That’s why the Ashes will be as enormous and profitable as it is, because it means something.”