It's time for cricket to play some bold strokes and revamp Test structure

In the shadow of Mount Everest, England captain Joe Root slips on his blazer and walks out to towards the square at Kathmandu’s new stadium to make history.

This will be Nepal’s first home Test after years of campaigning. There is a capacity crowd for the opening day of the match. Root’s England team are an exciting mix: senior players like the captain and Ben Stokes, complemented by Sam Curran and Jamie Overton, who are reaching their peak.

Nepal have been rewarded for strong performances in associate cricket. Against the expectations of many, the ICC have stuck to their word.

Seven years ago in 2016, chief executive David Richardson pledged to revive Test cricket by inviting new nations into the club. The packed houses in Kathmandu, Kabul and Dublin show it has worked.

Rewind to the present day. Next week, the ICC holds its annual general meeting in Edinburgh. Richardson has already confirmed that a new format for Test cricket, comprising two divisions with promotion and relegation, will be discussed.

“It is not universally popular, with many former players sceptical. “If New Zealand, for example, were in the second tier, they would miss the chance to play against that best,” said former Black Caps captain Brendon McCullum. “You need to play the best if you are to improve.”

“Players want to play better Test cricket and that won’t happen unless they’re playing the best nations,” agreed Sri Lanka great Kumar Sangakkara.

In a perfect world, they are probably right. Yet attendances for Test cricket are declining around the world. As a result, there will be more day/night, pink-ball Tests after the success of last year’s match between Australia and New Zealand at Adelaide, which attracted nearly 125,000 over its three days.

Two divisions, with greater rewards for those at the top level, should persuade players and boards to take the oldest format more seriously. Opening the door to other nations is a brainwave – especially when there is such enthusiasm for the game in those countries.

The Cricket Association of Nepal is currently suspended by the ICC due to “government interference” but chief executive Bhawana Ghimire told Standard Sport: “If we do things a bit differently, and at a fast pace, then we can be playing Test cricket in 7-10 years’ time.

“There is a huge cricket following in Nepal. If the ICC want to increase the popularity of cricket then there are a number of countries who have the potential to do that. People are crazy about cricket here. It is like India or Bangladesh.”

Nepal recently hosted two matches against Namibia in the World Cricket League, a 50-over competition for smaller cricket nations. Each was attended by about 10,000 people, according to the ICC. If Namibia can draw such interest, imagine what England, Australia or India would do.

Instead of looking at possible drawbacks, it is time for cricket to be bold. If that means possible relegation for a major power, or a pink ball that is less than perfect, so be it. After all, nobody ever climbed a mountain without being prepared to take the odd risk.