ICC likely to launch fund in 2025 to support Test cricket worldwide

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced plans to launch a dedicated fund in 2025 to strengthen Test cricket, aiming to help countries outside the "Big Three" (India, Australia, England) better compete with lucrative franchise leagues.

The initiative, primarily driven by Cricket Australia chair Mark Baird and supported by the BCCI and ECB, aims to establish a central fund for providing a minimum standard match fee for players, reportedly around US $10,000 (approximately £7,600) and implement in by 2025.

The initiative aims to make Test cricket more appealing to players who often choose shorter formats for higher earnings and ensuring financially constrained cricket boards to cover the costs associated with red-ball cricket which often operates at a loss for the nine Test-playing nations outside the Big Three.

For instance, Cricket West Indies' outgoing CEO, Johnny Grave revealed that their tour of Australia earlier this year cost the board US $2 million.

The proposed fund, expected to be about US $15 million (approximately £11 million), has garnered the support of BCCI secretary Jay Shah and ECB chair Richard Thompson.

Baird told the Sydney Morning Herald, "It's fantastic to see some momentum behind the Test-match fund," as quoted by ESPNcricinfo. "We need to remove the barriers and ensure Test cricket remains the pinnacle of the sport, preserving its history and legacy alongside the newer white-ball formats."

In a related effort to support financially struggling cricket boards, ECB chief executive Richard Gould announced that Zimbabwe would receive a "touring fee" for their one-off Test at Trent Bridge next May.