Nathan Lyon suggests idea of three-match WTC Final

New Delhi, Sep 4
Australian spinner Nathan Lyon has suggested a unique idea of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final format, suggesting it to be played across three matches in multiple countries.



Lyon believes that instead of a one-match event where the fate of a series can depend on a single session, a multi-match final would better encapsulate the spirit of Test cricket.

"It's not tournament play. You can't just be scraping into the semi-finals and losing two games or what not. You've got to be consistent over the two years of the cycle.

“One thing I would like to see, I'd like to see the World Test Championship Final potentially in a three-match series. That may become a little bit better because you potentially can lose using a Test match in one session where (in a three-match series) it may allow teams to bounce back all, show their dominance and win 3-0. We're pretty time-poor anyway and that's going to be a challenge but that's one thing I would change," Lyon was quoted by ICC.

"You potentially could go one in England, one in India, one in Australia, so you have all different conditions, but obviously, the timing of that changes everything. I don't think we're going to get on the MCG in the middle of August, just putting it out there."

The veteran spinner further emphasised that the WTC format eliminates dead rubbers in individual series, ensuring that every match remains significant and competitive.

"Oh, yeah. I'll just say it's (World Test Championship) the pinnacle for Test cricket. People say it's sometimes a dead rubber when you turn 2-0 up in a three-match series or whatever it may be. But I feel like there's no more dead rubbers. I've never considered them dead rubbers, but there's always points on offer now.

You look at us last year losing against West Indies at the Gabba hurt us a fair bit,. “But then I would go to New Zealand and win away from home, which is one of the biggest challenges in Test cricket," he added.

Lyon further described WTC equivalent to the World Cup in Test Cricket, underscoring its importance as a premier, long-format competition.

“It's massive, but I feel like the World Test Championship for me is like the World Cup and that's a genuine big World Cup. When you are competing against the best for long periods of time over a two-year period, you have to be good for the whole lot,” he added.