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Aussies back world championship for Tests

Australian cricket officials are readying to lobby for a world championship of Tests, when the International Cricket Council meets in Calcutta next week.

Australian Cricket Board chairman Denis Rogers said a plan had been developed for a Test match world championship once every four years, but did not go into details.

"We support the demand for such a championship and believe it should be in the form of a tournament, rather than points for existing matches," Rogers said.

As things stand, the only world title relates to one day cricket, because of the ease of staging such a tournament.

"A world championship will not only enhance Test cricket, it will save it," former skipper Alan Border wrote in a newspaper column on Wednesday, arguing that Test cricket was dying in some parts of the world because of lack of interest. "India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are getting obsessed with one day games, which lure television audiences and get substantial crowds, in contrast to Tests that are poorly attended," Border argued, saying that a world championship would force all countries to play more Tests.

Border wrote that his personal preference was for a mixture of points and tournament play -- points being awarded to teams over a four year period, and then the top four teams playing off for the title.

"Imagine the tension of a top four play off, imagine the interest that would give the entire Test calendar over the four years in the lead up to the final year, when teams are trying to qualify," Border wrote.