India Test captain Shubman Gill said West Indies’ obsession with T20 cricket and overseas leagues caused their decline. Once a powerhouse in the 1980s and 1990s, they’ve failed to maintain those standards over the last decade. Gill emphasised that a strong Test setup is essential to producing better ODI and T20 sides, not the other way around. He, however, declined to comment on a potential two-tier Test system.
For more than a decade, West Indies cricket has seen a significant drop in standards following the rise of T20 franchise leagues worldwide. The pursuit of financial stability as T20 freelancers has hurt the team, leading to a sharp decline in the quality of red-ball players.
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India beat West Indies in the first Test match by an innings and 140 runs in Ahmedabad last week. On Friday, the second and final tie of the contest will begin in New Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium. Ahead of the match, Gill was asked whether the ICC should introduce a two-tier Test system, a topic that has long been discussed among experts. However, the new India No. 4, without naming the West Indies, stressed the importance of a strong foundation rather than giving his verdict on the debate.
“I think it’s the ICC’s decision whether there should be a two-tier system or not. But I feel as a cricketing nation, whoever plays cricket, if your red-ball base is very strong, then you automatically do well in ODIs and T20s,” Gill said in the pre-match press conference.
“If you look at any of the teams, England, Australia, if the Test teams are very good, it’s a natural thing that your one-day and T20 teams will do well.
“I don’t know, maybe their (West Indies) players’ focus is more on T20 and leagues. So if your focus is on that, then the base from where the game has started, when you forget that, then the struggle of any country starts from there,” he explained.
Gill believes Indian cricket has excelled thanks to the strong structures and well-defined priorities. In fact, last March, the BCCI initiated a ‘Test Cricket Incentive Scheme’ to promote the traditional format, which was announced by then-board secretary Jay Shah. The scheme offers an additional reward to the existing match fee for Test cricket, set at INR 15 lakh. Players participating in over 75% of Tests in a season will earn an extra ₹45 lakh per match, while those outside the playing XI in that bracket will receive ₹22.5 lakh per match as additional fees.
“So we are also conscious. If you are doing well in the Test format, then it is a natural thing that in ODI and T20s, you will automatically have a good team. If you have a good base, you will have good options.”
