Follow UsCricket Australia (CA) chief Todd Greenberg recently said that the smaller countries could go bankrupt if they are forced to play Test cricket. However, former Australia pacer Mitchell Johnson disagrees with him and calls for the setting up of a two-tier system.
"Here's the thing — if that's the fear, then we've already missed the point. The solution to saving Test cricket isn't to scale it down to three or four rich countries. It's to lift the rest up. Help them. Grow the game. Back them," Johnson wrote in his column for The West Australian.
"This is where real leadership starts — not by pulling up the ladder, but by building a stronger base.
"Because let's be clear: these nations want to play Test cricket. The players want it. The fans want it. So why are we making it so hard? I've been to countries where cricket isn't backed by billion-dollar TV deals — but the passion is still there."
Johnson believes that if we leave Test cricket to the wealthy boards, the format will die a slow death.
"Because here's the reality: if we only leave Test cricket to the wealthy, it dies a slow death. Fans see through that. Players lose hope. And one by one, countries quietly drift towards the formats that pay quicker and hurt less. West Indies cricket has been an example of this. But Test cricket is supposed to hurt. It's supposed to demand more. That's the beauty of it. You don't earn a baggy green or a Test cap because you've bowled four overs, including a couple in the powerplay," Johnson wrote.
"You earn it over years — through bruises, setbacks, second-innings spells in 40C heat when your body says no and your heart says yes. And that feeling isn't exclusive to Australia or India or England. It lives in the soul of every young cricketer from all parts of the world. The only difference is opportunity."
Johnson finished his 73-match Test career with 313 wickets at 28.40. He also played 153 ODIs and 30 T20Is for his country.