Australia support 50-over cricket revamp

The ICC will consider introducing a new league for international 50-over cricket in a bid to add excitement into the fading format.

Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland has thrown his support behind a proposed revamp of 50-over cricket, saying it will help bring more relevance to the fading format.

The ICC are considering introducing a new league of 13 teams that would see each country play a three-match series - either home or away - against every other country over a three-year period.

At the end of the championship, the top two teams could face off in a final.

To add extra intrigue, the team finishing on bottom of the championship table could also be relegated.

The league could also be used to determine World Cup qualification, and even seedings.

The ICC will discuss the proposal when it meets later in June, and Sutherland said CA were fully supportive of the idea.

"My feeling is that in between World Cups, it would be beneficial to add some structure and additional context to the one-day games that are played on a bilateral basis," he said on Monday.

The proposed new format would add new excitement to series that would otherwise garner little fanfare.

It would also allow minnow nations such as Ireland and Afghanistan the chance to test themselves regularly against the world's best teams, thus speeding up their development.

The concept could begin as early as 2019.

Meanwhile, Sutherland wants the first event at the new 60,000-seat Perth Stadium to be a blockbuster Ashes Test.

The $1.2 billion venue was initially set to open in time for the 2018 AFL season.

But with construction well ahead of schedule, there's a chance an Ashes Test could open the Stadium in late 2017.

Sutherland toured the Perth Stadium on Monday, and he was due to meet with Western Australia Premier Colin Barnett to discuss the prospect of holding an Ashes Test there next year.

However, the AFL and Football Australia are also pushing to have their codes open the stadium.

A blockbuster clash between AFL WA rivals West Coast and Fremantle is on the cards.

But FFA are pushing to have the Socceroos open the venue with either a clash against England or Argentina.

Sutherland feels cricket deserves the right to open the venue - if it's ready in time.

"Given that for nearly 50 years cricket has been scheduling international sport here in Perth before any other sport, it would be entirely appropriate for the first ever major event to be at the Perth Stadium," Sutherland said.

"I don't see any reason why the first three or four days wouldn't be a sellout."

WACA chief executive Christina Matthews says the new drop-in pitch being developed for the Perth Stadium is also ahead of schedule.


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Source: AAP



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