Radical plan may result in two England-Australia Ashes series every three years
England and Australia could play two Ashes series every three years from 2027 onwards under a radical two-division plan that is reportedly being considered for Test cricket.According to the Melbourne Age, the chairs of Australia, England and India, plus Jay Shah, the new head of the International Cricket Council, are due to meet this month to discuss splitting the 12 Test nations into two divisions, allowing the “Big Three” countries to play their hugely lucrative series more often.It follows a bumper Border-Gavaskar Trophy between Australia and India that saw the hosts prevail 3-1 amid huge crowds.It was Australia’s fourth-best attended series – the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne drew a record 373,691 spectators over its five days – and was reportedly the most-watched Test series ever played in the country.The arrival of England’s Bazballers for the Ashes next winter could well challenge those numbers.
As it stands, the nine-team, two-year World Test Championship is baked into the schedule until mid- 2027, with the future tours programme for the period that follows still to be drawn up by the ICC and its full member boards,Were the number of teams in the top flight to be cut to seven from 2027 onwards – as per a previous proposal in 2016 – it could see the Ashes and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy played every 18 months,A senior England and Wales Cricket Board source has since told the Guardian that while Richard Thompson, its chair, does have a scheduled meeting with Shah and Cricket Australia’s Mike Baird at the end of the month, the subject of two divisions for Test cricket is “not on the agenda” and has not been discussed recently,Any potential split in future would not be straightforward,If seven is the desired number for the top division and the current Test rankings were used, it would feature Australia, South Africa, India, England, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
The current World Test Championship ladder sees Bangladesh in seventh place ahead of Pakistan, however, a discrepancy that could arise again were the 2025-27 WTC table to be used.Further questions would surround the issue of India and Pakistan not playing each other outside of ICC white-ball events, while any second division would need the carrot of promotion (and thus relegation from the top division) to prevent teams such as West Indies and Bangladesh being cut adrift.At the moment, Ireland, Zimbabwe and Afghanistan do not feature in the WTC at all.India’s support or otherwise will be key, although the involvement of Shah as chair of ICC – new in the role after five years as secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India – suggests it may already be there.A proposal for two divisions was rejected by India in 2016 for fear of widening the gap between the haves and have-nots.
“As the governing body of the game, the ICC’s job is to popularise the game and increase its global reach,” said Anurag Thakur, Shah’s predecessor at the BCCI, when two divisions for Test cricket was first mooted eight years ago.“On the contrary, this system may be good for the top five but everyone else will suffer.On the one hand, we say we need to support teams like West Indies, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, while on the other, by bringing up something like this, we will cut their legs.”Sign up to The SpinSubscribe to our cricket newsletter for our writers' thoughts on the biggest stories and a review of the week’s actionafter newsletter promotionThe ECB was in favour at the time, with Colin Graves, then chair, quoted as saying: “We are all for it, without a shadow of a doubt.I think we have to do something with Test cricket to make it worthwhile, to get people back interested and make it relevant.
If we end up in division two, it is our own fault, simple as that,”This latest push to condense the top tier is being driven by broadcast money and the ongoing tension between international cricket and Twenty20 cricket’s private franchise leagues regarding scheduling and players,Although it also comes after a year which saw West Indies secure a famous 1-1 draw in Australia, and Bangladesh sweep Pakistan 2-0 away from home,Shah, who began as ICC chair in December, has already floated the idea of a dedicated fund for Test cricket that would standardise match fees and, in theory, stem the talent drain away from the red-ball format,The World Test Championship – the latest edition of which will see defending champions Australia play South Africa in the final at Lord’s in June – has not been without its critics since it began in 2019, chiefly due to the imbalance of fixtures.
Ben Stokes, the England Test captain, is among them, having called its league system “utterly confusing”.
McDonald’s sacked 29 people after sexual harassment allegations, MPs told
The chief executive of McDonald’s has said 29 people have been dismissed in the past year after allegations of sexual harassment.The UK boss of the fast-food chain, Alistair Macrow, told MPs on Tuesday that the company had been alerted to 75 allegations of sexual harassment over the last 12 months, 47 of which had been upheld with disciplinary action taken and 29 of which resulted in people being dismissed.Macrow’s appearance before MPs on the business and trade select committee came as more than 700 junior McDonald’s workers joined legal action against the chain after allegations of widespread discrimination, homophobia and sexual harassment at its UK restaurants.Hundreds of current and former crew members – some as young as 19 – have instructed the law firm Leigh Day to take action on their behalf, in a move that has implicated more than 450 of its UK outlets.Complainants have been coming forward after an investigation a year ago by the BBC, which on Tuesday claimed that workers at the chain were still facing sexual abuse and harassment despite a promise from McDonald’s to address the concerns after they were first raised
Mark Carney ‘considering’ run to replace Justin Trudeau as Canada PM
The former Bank of England governor Mark Carney, a climate-focused economist who became the first non-Briton to run the Bank, is considering entering the race to replace Justin Trudeau as Canada’s prime minister.Trudeau announced on Monday he would step down after nearly 10 years in power once his ruling Liberal party chose a new leader, throwing open the doors to a fierce party race before a general election later this year.Carney, 59, in a statement quoted by Bloomberg, where he is a chair of the board of directors, said he would be “considering this decision closely with my family over the coming days”. A longtime and prominent member of the Liberal party, Carney said he was “encouraged” by the support of Liberal lawmakers and people “who want us to move forward with positive change and a winning economic plan”.Speculation that Carney, who ran the Bank of Canada from 2008 to 2013 and the Bank of England from 2013 to 2020, could be seeking high office has grown over the past few months as Trudeau’s popularity plummeted amid record inflation, an acute housing crisis, high food prices and voter fatigue
Meta to get rid of factcheckers and recommend more political content
Meta will get rid of factcheckers, “dramatically reduce the amount of censorship” and recommend more political content on its platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and Threads, founder Mark Zuckerberg has announced.In a video message, Zuckerberg vowed to prioritise free speech after the return of Donald Trump to the White House and said that, starting in the US, he would “get rid of factcheckers and replace them with community notes similar to X”.X, the social media platform owned by Elon Musk, relies on other users to add caveats and context to contentious posts.Zuckerberg said Meta’s “factcheckers have just been too politically biased and have destroyed more trust than they’ve created”. The tech firm’s content moderation teams will be moved from California to Texas “where there is less concern about the bias of our teams”, he said
Nick Clegg’s departure signals a new political era at Meta
Hello, and welcome to TechScape. Happy New Year! May dry January leave us all with fewer headaches. Today in TechScape: Meta promotes a Trumpian bulldog, TikTok faces mounting problems that aren’t a ban, Meta faces backlash against its approach to AI and Elon Musk meddles abroad.Nick Clegg, the former deputy prime minister of the United Kingdom, is now the former head of global affairs at Meta. He announced his resignation on Thursday after six years at the tech giant
Mirra Andreeva: ‘I would say that I’m still a kid sometimes. I can be a pain’
The 17-year-old grand slam semi-finalist on shedding tears, learning on the job and annoying Conchita MartínezIn the final weeks of her first season competing at the highest level of professional tennis, the best teenage player in the world found herself on the brink of a perfect ending. Facing off against her good friend and compatriot Daria Kasatkina in the Chinese city of Ningbo, Mirra Andreeva battled hard with hopes of winning the biggest title of her career. For a while, she had positioned herself well for victory, but she instead fell in three excruciating sets.By the time the trophy ceremony had begun, tears of frustration were rolling down Andreeva’s face. Despite Kasatkina’s admirable attempts to console her younger friend and the sweet sportsmanship they shared, the 17-year-old struggled to accept the defeat
The Breakdown | Willis brothers prove that resilience is key in harsh world of rugby union
Sometimes people forget the most priceless quality in a rugby player. It can also be easily overlooked, particularly on sunny days in benign conditions when tries flow like warm honey. Even away from home in deepest midwinter, with sub-zero temperatures freezing your snot, it is only fully visible to those aware of just how deep certain individuals have already had to dig to be there.So yes, size clearly matters to some extent. Vision, too, in a game that grows ever quicker
Shortage of foster carers causing ‘very real’ UK crisis, Barnardo’s warns
‘We’re very glad we’ve done it’: the Liverpool couple who fostered more than 40 children
Prison officer jailed for having sex with inmate at HMP Wandsworth
Billionaire Bet365 boss takes home £150m despite 45% pay cut
‘Keeps me grateful’: how volunteering can help older adults
‘New year, new you’? How are we supposed to find the time? | Emma Beddington