Sports

‘Fourth Format’ emerges amid fears over future of Test cricket

Published

1 week ago

October 16, 2025

Amid fears over the future of Test cricket, a vision for a new format — carrying elements of both the traditional red-ball version and the modern Twenty20 game — has emerged by the name of “Test Twenty”.

The idea was unveiled on Thursday by Indian sports entrepreneur Gaurav Bahirvani, the executive chairman of the One One Six Network, and boasts the patronage of the likes of former stalwarts AB de Villiers, Clive Lloyd, Matthew Hayden and Harbhajhan Singh.

According to a press release, “Test Twenty fuses the strategic depth of Test cricket with the speed and spectacle of T20”. The format will be played over 80 overs, featuring two innings of 20 overs per side, with scores carried forward across innings.

Each team bats twice, just like in a Test match, while the rules of both Test and T20 cricket will apply, with a few refined adjustments to suit the new format.

“Matches can conclude in a win, loss, tie, or draw, ensuring that every contest retains the full spectrum of cricket’s drama and unpredictability,” the statement further read.

The “Fourth Format” as coined by the people behind it, will, however, be tested first at the youth level, “opening the doors of opportunity to young cricketers aged 13 to 19 from every corner of the world”.

Organisers said players will be assessed on skill, data, and merit through a multi-tiered, analytics-based selection process, leading to an elite auction pool for franchise selection.

The first full season of Test Twenty debuts in January 2026, featuring six high profile global franchises — three international (Dubai, London, and a US city) and three Indian (franchise-choice cities).

Each franchise will be backed by a next-generation celebrity stakeholder (“star-kid”) and fuelled by talent discovered through the annual Junior Test Twenty Championship.

The top 300 players emerging from this stage will advance to the Global Auction Pool, where franchises will draw talent for the inaugural season.

“I genuinely believe this fourth format can add a new dimension to our game,” de Villiers said in a statement. “Many of us have enjoyed the T20 format over the years, but we still hold particular affection for Test cricket — and we want it to be played and enjoyed forever.”

There have been growing concerns over the fate of Test cricket over the last few years with lower-ranked sides struggling to play the format on a regular basis, in stark contrast to India, England and Australia who play five-Test series against each other every two years along with their fixtures with other sides.

The scenario has conceived the idea of a two-tier system, which suggests weaker Test sides fighting for promotion to the top tier. It is yet to e be discussed on an official level.

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Babar Azam picked as Fakhar Zaman’s replacement for South Africa T20Is, says Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson

Published

10 hours ago

October 26, 2025

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After staying out of favour in the Twenty20 International format for Pakistan’s last five assignments, former skipper Babar Azam was picked for the upcoming three-match series against South Africa only after Fakhar Zaman’s decided to skip it, white-ball head coach Mike Hesson said on Sunday.

Since Hesson took over the role in June, Babar hasn’t featured for Pakistan in T20Is with the national side playing series against Bangladesh, the West Indies and a tri-nation series followed by the Asia Cup during that period.

Hesson had cited the right-hander’s low strike-rate as the reason for his absence. But Babar’s selection for the series, which starts in Rawalpindi on Tuesday raised suggested a change of mind for the coach before the New Zealander clarified it.

“I certainly endorse his selection,” Hesson said of Babar while speaking to reporters on the sidelines of Pakistan’s training session at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. “We’ve sent him (Fakhar) back to first-class cricket after a conversation with him.

“He wanted to focus on improving his technique for one-day cricket, so we gave him a bit of a break from T20s. That’s created an opportunity for another top-order player.”

Hesson confirmed that Babar will take the number three spot instead of the batter’s preferred opening position, where he flourished for Pakistan for a substantial period before eventually falling in form and then out of favour.

The coach, however, has expectations from Babar to make a strong comeback and suggested he saw him in Pakistan’s plans for the T20 World Cup, which is set to be held in February-March next year in India and Sri Lanka.

“It’s a great chance to have Babar back,” said the coach. “He’s likely to bat at number three, a role I’m confident he’ll perform well in.

“It also gives our squad some flexibility ahead of the [T20] World Cup.”

‘Haris needs to work’

Babar’s unexpected return also coincided with the axing of wicket-keeper-batter Mohammad Haris from the Pakistan squad even after he received ample backing from the team management across Hesson’s tenure so far.

The 24-year-old proved his mettle with a century against Bangladesh back in June but gradually lost form amid frequent change of batting positions.

Hesson believed Haris needed to go back to the drawing board to fix his issues.

“Haris has had a number of opportunities recently, and he’d be the first to admit he hasn’t made the most of them,” he said. “But he’s still young and developing, so I wouldn’t say his career is over.

“He needs to work on his decision-making with the bat. Even in domestic T20s, he averages around 17, similar to international cricket, so that’s an area for improvement.”

Haris has been replaced by Usman Khan — who last year gave up on a career in the United Arab Emirates to play for Pakistan before being eventually dropped. He emerged out of nowhere and Hesson said he sees the right-hander, who keeps wickets as well, as a good player of spin.

“We see our wicket-keeper batting more through the middle rather than at the top, especially with spin being such a big factor in Sri Lanka during the World Cup. That’s why Usman has been given this opportunity.”

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FIFA announces new ASEAN Cup for Southeast Asia

Published

12 hours ago

October 26, 2025

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A new tournament, the FIFA ASEAN Cup, will be launched as part of an agreement between FIFA and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), aimed at boosting the development of football across the region.

The announcement was made during the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday, where FIFA President Gianni Infantino and ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn signed a renewed Memorandum of Understanding.

The tournament will bring together national teams from all ASEAN member states in a format inspired by the Arab Cup, which was first organised by FIFA in 2021.

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“This will be a great addition to the regional football calendar,” Infantino said.

“Through the FIFA ASEAN Cup, we are uniting countries together, and this competition will be a huge success as it will help boost national team football in the ASEAN region and support the development of our sport across all of Southeast Asia.”

World football’s governing body will work with regional stakeholders including the Asian Football Confederation, the ASEAN Football Federation, and the relevant FIFA member associations to finalise the tournament’s format.

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