Is this right? I don’t think so. If a country has been given the test status than downgrading certain test matches is not right. The correct procedure should be to review the test status of such countries. That though will produce its own set of problems.
ICC mulls Zim series status](BBC SPORT | Cricket | Australia ready to pull out)
The International Cricket Council will decide on Friday whether to downgrade the status of the forthcoming series between Zimbabwe and Australia.
The Test status of the series is under threat after Zimbabwe sacked 15 players following a dispute over quotas.
Cricket Australia is readying itself for the possibility the Test series is stripped of its official status.
“It is hypothetical right now, but there are plans in place so we are prepared,” a spokesman told BBC Sport.
"It is hard for Cricket Australia to comment on what we would do ahead of time.
"The chairman is convening a meeting on Wednesday evening with our international sub-committee to assess the board’s view on the matter.
“It is important international cricket is about playing the best, otherwise the game is damaged.”
The ICC also criticised the Zimbabwe Cricket Union (ZCU) for inviting its chief executive Malcolm Speed to Zimbabwe to address their board before offering only chief executive Vincent Hogg and chairman Peter Chingoka, the country’s ICC board member.
“The decision by the ZCU to withdraw its invitation to Malcolm Speed was unfortunate,” ICC president Ehsan Mani said in a statement.
Fifteen of Zimbabwe’s leading white players refused to play for the national team last month after accusing the board of allowing politicians to dictate the make-up of the side.
The ZCU sacked the players and fielded a young, largely black and understrength side.
The new-look Zimbabwe were subsequently thrashed by Sri Lanka in a one-day and Test series, and the ICC is worried about the integrity of Test cricket.
“The ZCU has now indicated that it intends to proceed with these matches as Test matches and I have called a meeting of the ICC executive board to establish clearly if the ICC directors believe that affording these matches Test status is appropriate,” added Mani.