David Gower has called for England’s series against Rest of the World, which took place 50 years ago this summer, to be awarded Test status.

The tour was arranged hastily after the cancellation of South Arica’s scheduled visit due to political pressure over their racist apartheid policy. They were played as Test matches at the time, and highly competitive ones at that. Rest of the World won 4-1, with a victory by two wickets and a successful chase of 287 in there. However, though they were recognised as such by the Wisden Almanack, that status was revoked by the ICC in 1972, with the Almanack relenting in 1980, against the wishes of then-editor Norman Preston.

In 2005, the ICC’s decision was muddied by their awarding of Test status to a Super Test played between Australia, then the No.1 Test side in the world, and a World XI, while the plight of England batsman Alan Jones has led to renewed calls for the status to be re-awarded.

The Glamorgan legend, who holds the record for the most first-class runs without a Test cap, played for England for the only time during that series. Recently he was awarded Test cap number 696 by the ECB, but the ICC still refuses to relent. Gower, who made his Test debut in 1978, has lent his voice to the calls for a reversal.

“Lovely piece in today’s Times by @sjamesjourno about Glamorgan’s Alan Jones receiving his England cap 50 years after his one and sadly only Test v Rest of the World,” he tweeted. “That ICC won’t recognise that series with Test match status is bonkers.

“Rest of the World team 1970: [Barry] Richards, [Eddie] Barlow, [Rohan] Kanhai, [Graeme] Pollock, [Clive] Lloyd, [Garry] Sobers, [Farokh] Engineer, Initkhab [Alam], [Mike] Procter, [Graham] McKenzie, [Lance] Gibbs. Not worth Test status? Give me f@&£&£9 strength!”

 

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