A meaningful test cricket championship could be established by the end of next week.
The International Cricket Council's board and chief executives meet from February 1-4 in Dubai with the issue returning to the agenda after getting pinballed and finessed through a labyrinth of working committees and previous gatherings.
The only impediment to a definitive decision on the issue might be the chaos enveloping the Board of Control for Cricket in India; the country's Supreme Court sacked the BCCI president and secretary this month. The court is set to appoint a panel of administrators tomorrow to run the game, but whether they will be present at the pow-wows in Dubai remains moot.
Regardless, the status quo of a test rankings system could be upgraded to two pools of six teams with scope for cross-over games. A biennial final is being pitched for a venue such as Lord's. Adding to the historic plan, Afghanistan and Ireland will become the 11th and 12th teams promoted to test status, the first to be elevated since Bangladesh in June 2000.
Originally a two-tier system of seven "division one" and five "division two" teams was proposed, with one team being promoted and relegated every two years. However, that was opposed by the national representatives of some lower-ranked teams because it would be perceived as demeaning to the "full ICC member" status for which they originally toiled.