A group of cricket lovers have come together to challenge the ICC into revamping the way Test Cricket is to be scheduled in the future.

Dubbed, Testing Times, the group of cricket followers from up and down the country have organised a petition, hoping to attract 28,000 signatures, enough to fill Lords Cricket Ground, to show the ICC that fans of the game still care about the longer format of the game.

Their long term goal  is to persuade the ICC to ensure the protection of Test cricket by granting it  greater emphasis in global schedules. However, their interim goal is to persuade the ECB to add an extra Test to next summer’s key clash between the world’s top two nations, England and South Africa.

This a concern of some the top International players like England captain Andrew Strauss, which shows this is a problem that has to be taken very seriously before it creates new ending damage to the world game.

They are petitioning the ECB to address and implement the following points which will, they believe, send a message to cricket’s other international boards – including the ICC – that test cricket is not a dying form but the pinnacle of the finest sport there is.

They’re petitioning them to rearrange next summer’s international schedule as follows:

• Reduce the ODI series v South Africa to a three match series and add in the extra test that a clash between the top two Test teams in the world deserves. In addition, they shall seek assurance that “icon series”, such as those against South Africa and Australia, are granted a minimum of five Tests in future.

• Rectify the scheduling of an ODI match v Scotland in the middle of South Africa Test series by rearranging it to take place after the Test series as a warm up for the
ODI series.

Once they have achieved their primary objectives they aim to address some more international issues with the ICC, including the following:

• Assurance that the ICC will listen to the fans’ desire to abolish two-match Test series in future. They are unpopular with fans as you cannot have a satisfactory outcome from such a short series. They are also undesirable amongst the players, two of whom – Dale Steyn and Kumar Sangakkara – have spoken out on this
recently. This can be achieved by limiting the number of limited overs internationals, especially those not attached to a Test series.

• Reinstatement of the proposed Test Championship featuring the world’s top four ranked teams, to 2013 as originally planned. Whilst they acknowledge and welcome
the continuing existence of the CWC and the T20 World Cup, equally they believe that there IS a requirement for such a competition to exist in the test match form.

You can find out more about Testing Times and their campaign at the following sources:
• Twitter campaign: http://www.twitter.com/#!/testingtimesxi
• Facebook campaign: http://www.facebook.com/testingtimes
• e-Petition: http://www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/testingtimes