The England and Wales Cricket Board has today been in touch with ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat to seek immediate clarification of his comments on the ECB's stance regarding an ICC World Test Championship.
In an interview to the Guardian Lorgat was quoted as saying that, "I would like to create some additional context for Test cricket and there's no doubt a Test championship would be of great benefit. I would like to convince people that the way to ensure Test cricket survives is through a championship model. Those recent series between South Africa and Australia had greater context because they were tussling over the No1 slot.
"And let's say you and your mate are South African and Australian - and India are about to play Sri Lanka. If the result impacts on your team's championship standing you are bound to be more interested. The only two countries who do not see the argument are India and England - but debate is growing all the time. The MCC seem to have come out in favour but when I met the ECB recently it was the wrong time to tackle them in detail. They were too high on the Ashes."
David Collier, the ECB chief executive, said today: "England has consistently stated it supports a play-off for a Test Championship.
"Indeed Haroon Lorgat's own staff have approached ECB in the past month to stage the final in England which was warmly received and supported by ECB.
"The original proposal from the ICC for a two-year cycle with two years of an uncertain fixture programme in regard to the Test Championship would have been detrimental to Test cricket and ECB's prime consideration is to ensure that Test cricket is at the pinnacle of the world game.
"We are pleased that David Richardson has a full understanding of the benefits of the Test Championship play-off system and that this is being actively pursued.
"The ECB has been reassured by correspondence from the ICC chief executive in which he tells us that he is unhappy at the slant put on his comments.
"He also confirmed that he had been at pains to communicate to journalists why there were justifiable concerns about the original proposal for a Test Championship which had been found to be unworkable and therefore this is the reason the play-off concept proposed by the ECB is now being pursued by the ICC."
In an interview to the Guardian Lorgat was quoted as saying that, "I would like to create some additional context for Test cricket and there's no doubt a Test championship would be of great benefit. I would like to convince people that the way to ensure Test cricket survives is through a championship model. Those recent series between South Africa and Australia had greater context because they were tussling over the No1 slot.
"And let's say you and your mate are South African and Australian - and India are about to play Sri Lanka. If the result impacts on your team's championship standing you are bound to be more interested. The only two countries who do not see the argument are India and England - but debate is growing all the time. The MCC seem to have come out in favour but when I met the ECB recently it was the wrong time to tackle them in detail. They were too high on the Ashes."
David Collier, the ECB chief executive, said today: "England has consistently stated it supports a play-off for a Test Championship.
"Indeed Haroon Lorgat's own staff have approached ECB in the past month to stage the final in England which was warmly received and supported by ECB.
"The original proposal from the ICC for a two-year cycle with two years of an uncertain fixture programme in regard to the Test Championship would have been detrimental to Test cricket and ECB's prime consideration is to ensure that Test cricket is at the pinnacle of the world game.
"We are pleased that David Richardson has a full understanding of the benefits of the Test Championship play-off system and that this is being actively pursued.
"The ECB has been reassured by correspondence from the ICC chief executive in which he tells us that he is unhappy at the slant put on his comments.
"He also confirmed that he had been at pains to communicate to journalists why there were justifiable concerns about the original proposal for a Test Championship which had been found to be unworkable and therefore this is the reason the play-off concept proposed by the ECB is now being pursued by the ICC."
© ECB
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