The ICC Champions Trophy, a one-day 50-over-a-side contest, got underway in South Africa yesterday and, after 21 years and five tournaments, after four winners, including the West Indies in 2004, this one could be the last one.

With the coming of Twenty20 cricket, its audacious and sometimes daredevil stroke play, its razzle-dazzle entertainment, its quick and usually exciting finish and its appeal to television and, therefore, to sponsors, Test cricket and one-day cricket are under threat - or so it is said.

While Test cricket, played over five days, is hardly in danger, however, one-day cricket, 50 overs per side cricket, appears in serious trouble. Although it is unlikely that it will die, although it is more likely that it will be trimmed, unless this Champions Trophy tournament can come up with something special, with cricket that is so exciting that it pulls in the crowd from start to finish, it is almost as sure as night follows day that it will be the last.

Twenty20 cricket spells money, right around the world. The fans are calling for more, although many of them have been singing the praise of Test cricket while expounding on its virtues.

Players have been attracted to Twenty20 cricket, although they have been feebly defending the importance of and the value of Test cricket.

Administrators, probably because of the money available from Twenty20 cricket, have not been doing anything to protect Test cricket and, in an effort to protect Test cricket, those who love Test cricket, really love it, have been lobbying to save it.

To those fighting to save it, Test cricket is cricket, it offers everything that cricket is supposed to offer, it is the real test of who is a good cricketer and who is not and although they enjoy the relaxation of Twenty20 cricket, to them, Test cricket is the real stuff and must remain.

"There is no way Test cricket is dying," said Sachin Tendulkar recently.

According to the man rated as one of the greatest batsmen of all time, Twenty20 cricket is desert and you can't survive on that.

Main course

"Who wants to eat only desert? Test cricket is the main course, with all the meat and vegetables and then it is nice to have Twenty20 as desert," said the Indian master.

The problem is how can Test cricket be saved?

Right now the ICC's Futures Tour Programme, which comes to an end in 2012, calls for home-and-away contests between every Test team. Although some teams arrange to play three or four Test matches and three or five one-day matches against some teams, although the big boys, Australia and England, always play five Test matches in the 'Ashes' series and seven one-day matches between them, each contest calls for at least two Test matches and three one-day matches.

Two-tiered system

One of the suggestions include a call for a world Test championship - a two-tiered system which would see the top six teams playing five-match Test series among themselves for points, with a three-match showdown between the top two, every four years, for a pocket-full of money and the right to be known as the world champions.

The other suggestions include a five-match one-day series and a three-match Twenty20 series with every Test series between the top six teams; a three-match Test series, a three-match one-day series, and a three-match Twenty20 series between the other teams; and, most importantly, a window which would not only accommodate the money-spinning Twenty20 competitions like the Indian IPL every year, not only individually organised series between the top six teams and the other teams, but also the World Twenty20 every two years, the World Cup every four years and the Test championship, also every four years.

Those suggestions sound good and they certainly would add spice to the game.

The best against the best would cut out the many lopsided, boring and meaningless contests which attract a mere handful of fans.

The weak against the weak would still be competitive and interesting and would attract fans.

A world Test championship with a showdown for a genuine title and money would motivate the players and pull in the fans.

A limit to one-day matches that follows a Test series would erase the possibility of dead matches - as is the case in the seven-match contest between England and Australia - and the window would make it easy for a player to fulfil his heart's desire - to earn money and to play at the highest level while representing his country.

Making it easier

Born out of a need to find money to fund the game in developing countries, the Champions Trophy, first held in Bangladesh in 1988/89, is now out of favour with cricket attempting to streamline itself, to make it easier for players to earn money and still represent their country. With the World Cup around, it is repetitious, it is one competition too many and it has to go.

Whether it goes or stays will depend on what happens in South Africa.

The feeling, however, is that regardless of what happens, this will be the last of this contest, even if there is an ending, a magnificent finish, like there was in 2004 in England when, chasing England's 217 and falling at 147 for eight in the 34th over, the West Indies, through Courtney Browne and Ian Bradshaw, produced a memorable fightback and pulled off an amazing victory.