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150 days to a champion...

The International Cricket Council has been waffling, for quite a while, on the subject of a World Championship of Tests. The hurdle, according to the ICC, lies in the question of how to bring all nine Test playing nations together in one intensive session of competition, and how the rules should be framed to achieve the objective.

The following is a theoretical exercise aimed at answering that question, and devising a framework under which such a championship can be held.

The teams: India, Pakistan, Australia, England, South Africa, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, West Indies and Zimbabwe.

Proposed duration: The idea of this exercise is to complete the entire championship within four months.

The format: Since we are talking of determining the best Test-playing country in the world, absolute results, rather than accumulated bonus points, would seem to be the way to go.

Towards that end, I would propose the following basic rules:

1) 90 overs to be bowled by each team in a day, for a total of 450 overs per Test of five days duration.

2) Each innings to comprise a maximum of 115 overs. The overs limit is being imposed for the following reasons: a) It will produce definite results, (b) It will serve to increase interest in Test cricket, and reduce the possibility of draws, (c) It will induce captains to be aggressive, to make challenging declarations.

3) Thus, each team will play a maximum of 115 overs, with the option of declaring its innings earlier should it desire to do so. Points will be awarded only where results are obtained. A winning side earns two points for a win at home, and three for a win abroad.

4) Points will be accumulated during the league phase, and the top four teams will advance to the semifinal round.

5) In case two or more teams are tied on points at the end of the league phase, net run rate will determine who goes through into the last four.

6) In case even that determinant produces a tie, the side with the most away wins moves into the semis.

7) If the tie remains even at that point, the team that has accumulated most runs in the league phase goes through.

8) If there is a 3 way tie to determine 2 semi-final spots, then the 2 teams with the maximum accumulated runs will go on to the semi-finals.

9) If there is still a tie at this point, then the team that has taken the maximum number of accumulated wickets will proceed to the next round. A three-way tie means that the 2 teams with the maximum accumulated wickets will go on to the semi-finals.

How the tournament will be conducted: Since it is impossible to draw two groups of equal numbers, the only possible way is to ensure that all the nine teams play each other.

It makes sense to seed the teams, while formatting the draw. As there are nine teams, the home-away problem is solved and the teams can play 4 at home and 4 abroad.

The ICC can decide the country where the matches must be played and the respective home boards can decide the venues, in much the same way the Davis Cup is structured.

Once the four semi-finalists are determined, the semi-finals can be held at neutral venues to negate either side having the home advantage.

The final will be a three-Test affair, all three Tests to be held at neutral venues. For the sake of history, Lord's suggests itself as the venue for either the first, or the last, Test of the final.

Recommendations: The ICC will need to ensure that all pitches are prepared under its supervision, that the pitches provide equal measure of encouragement to batsmen and bowlers, and are never weighted in favour of one or the other. In other words, care has to be taken to ensure that games don't become slog fests.

Sample draw: Given below is a draw, that seeks to show that it is possible to complete the tournament in the time frame envisaged.

On present form, the teams would be seeded as follows: Australia, South Africa, Pakistan, England, India, West Indies, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Zimbabwe.

The schedule would run thus:

Match 1: Australia vs India at Calcutta April 1-5, 2000

Match 2: New Zealand vs South Africa at Johannesburg April 1-5, 2000

Match 3: Pakistan vs Sri Lanka at Colombo April 6-10, 2000

Match 4: England vs Zimbabwe at Harare, April 6-10

Match 5: West Indies vs Australia at Melbourne, April 11-15

Match 6: India vs South Africa at Mumbai, April 11-15

Match 7: Pakistan vs England at Headingley, April 17-21

Match 8: Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe at Colombo, April 17-21

Match 9: Australia vs New Zealand at Wellington, April 22-26

Match 10: India vs West Indies at Barbados, April 22-26

Match 11: England vs Sri Lanka at the Oval, April 27-May 1

Match 12: Pakistan vs Zimbabwe at Lahore, April 27-May 1

Match 13: West Indies vs New Zealand at Guyana, May 2-6

Match 14: Australia vs South Africa at Sydney, May 2-6

Match 15: India vs England at Lords, May 7-11

Match 16: Pakistan vs New Zealand at Dunedin, May 12-16

Match 17: South Africa vs West Indies at Jamaica May 12-16

Match 18: Sri Lanka vs Australia at Colombo May 17-21

Match 19: South Africa vs Zimbabwe at Harare, May 17-21

Match 20: England vs New Zealand at Christchurch May 22-26

Match 21: India vs Pakistan at Karachi May 22-26

Match 22: South Africa vs Sri Lanka at Durban May 27-31

Match 23: West Indies vs Zimbabwe at Barbados May 27-31

Match 24: Australia vs Pakistan at Lahore June 1-5

Match 25: India vs New Zealand at Chennai June 1-5

Match 26: South Africa vs England at Cape Town June 6-10

Match 27: West Indies vs Sri Lanka at Colombo June 6-10

Match 28: Australia vs Zimbabwe at Brisbane June 11-15

Match 29: India vs Sri Lanka in Delhi June 11-15

Match 30: South Africa vs Pakistan at Bloemfontein June 11-15

Match 31: West Indies vs England at Old Trafford June 16-20

Match 32: India vs Zimbabwe at Harare June 16-20

Match 33: New Zealand vs Sri Lanka at Wellington June 21-25

Match 34: England vs Australia at Perth June 26-30

Match 35: West Indies vs Pakistan at Peshawar June 26-30

Match 36: New Zealand vs Zimbabwe at Harare July 1-5

That completes the league phase. The top four teams would qualify for the semifinal stage, as under.

Match 37: Team one versus team four at a neutral venue, July 10-15

Match 38: Team two versus team three at neutral venue, July 10-15

The best of three finals will be held as under:

Test one: July 20-24

Test two: July 28-August 1

Test threee: August 4-August 8

As can be seen, the schedule provides for 41 Tests between the period April 1-August 8.

Each of the nine Teams plays four at home and four away during the preliminary phase.

A best of three finals confers the title of world champions on the truly deserving.

This may not be the final solution -- but at the least, I hope, it takes the debate a step further forward. And that one step, hopefully, will bring the resolution that much closer.

It has been 120 years and more since the first Test in cricket history was played. Isn't it time we had an official world champion?