The multi-format points system used in the Women's Ashes looks set to be used in England's home series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan this year
Pakistan, SL give thumbs up to points system
Pakistan and Sri Lanka have agreed to a proposal from the England and Wales Cricket Board to implement a multi-format points system for their tours of the United Kingdom this year.
Based on the points system first devised between the ECB and Cricket Australia and introduced for the 2013 Women's Ashes, teams are awarded points for each of the three formats of the game, with the final result determining an overall winner.
England will host Sri Lanka for three Tests, five ODIs and a one-off Twenty20. They will play four Tests against Pakistan, with the same number of white-ball games.
Under the weighting used in last year’s Women’s Ashes, teams are awarded four points for a Test victory and two points for winning a one-day international or Twenty20 match.
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Originally, a Test was worth six points in the 2013 Women’s Ashes, but the system was changed after England retained the coveted trophy despite winning fewer matches in the series.
England hope the system would give greater meaning and purpose to limited-overs series, particularly those played long out from the global tournaments which can sometimes struggle to capture the public's imagination.
Although the idea is to generate greater interest across the whole tour, the Test weighting and scheduling of Tests first mean a three-nil Test series win would leave either England or Sri Lanka needing just one more victory from the six remaining limited-overs matches to clinch the overall prize.
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A four-nil win for either England or Pakistan would make the concept redundant with not enough points on offer in the limited-overs component to overhaul the Test mark.
If it proves successful, it could potentially see limited overs series played before Test matches in a break with the accepted norm.
The proposal has been met with a mixed response from England's cricketers.
"Whatever it is, it's going to make it extremely competitive and it might bring all three formats together a little bit more," Joe Root said during a golf day last week, while Ben Stokes was less convinced and said he particularly did not wish to see it become part of any Ashes battles between England and Australia.
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It is unknown if there would be a prize or trophy presentation after each format with England, like CA, having separate sponsorships for Test, ODI and T20 cricket, with the ECB set to soon release more details of the plan.
England’s first Test against Sri Lanka gets underway at Headingly on May 19.