“Trying to send countries bankrupt if…” - CA CEO, Greenberg

Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg has issued a bold warning, saying smaller cricketing nations could lose money if they play too many Test matches. In today’s era, where T20 franchise cricket dominates, the longest format has been struggling to stay strong.

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Greenberg took over as CEO in March, replacing Nick Hockley. Now, he believes that forcing every country to play more Test cricket could create financial trouble. Speaking to Reuters, he said: “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.”

Earlier this year, a proposal was discussed to introduce a two-tier World Test Championship (WTC). The International Cricket Council (ICC) formed an eight-member group to review the idea during its annual meeting in Singapore.

“Scarcity in Test cricket is our friend, not our foe,” Greenberg said. “We need to make sure we invest in the right spaces to play Test cricket where it means something and has jeopardy.”

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"This will be the biggest sports event in Australia this year.” - Greenberg

Greenberg also supported the two-tier WTC concept but stressed the importance of competitive balance. He emphasizes on quality of Test cricket rather than the quantity of Test cricket. 

But, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chairman Richard Thompson has not supported the two-tier system as there is a fear of England not getting a chance to compete against top teams like India and Australia. “We wouldn’t want, as England, if we go through a fallow period, to fall into Division Two and not play Australia or India. That simply couldn’t happen. Common sense needs to prevail,” he said to BBC Test Match Special.

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Meanwhile, the five-match Ashes Test series will begin on 21 November 2025 in Australia across five venues. Speaking about the event, Greenberg said: "This will be the biggest sports event in Australia this year. The interest is quite extraordinary with ticket allocations for 11 of the 20 days on sale already exhausted. That's why the Ashes will be as enormous and as profitable as it is - because it means something."

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