Test match squash returns to television

Televised international team matches have been a rare commodity in squash, but the format will be reprised for the first time in over 30 years when a strong England team takes on Rest of the World in Surrey on Friday night.

The one-off Ab Initio International match will take place at St George’s Hill Lawn Tennis Club in Weybridge and features an England quartet comprising Nick Matthew, James Willstrop, Daryl Selby and Laura Massaro.

The event is a sell-out but will be shown on the BBC Sport website and in virtual reality on YouTube.

England’s garlanded team will take on Mohamed Elshorbagy, the Egyptian former world No. 1 who won the Channel Vas tournament at the same club last month, Paul Coll, of New Zealand, Australia’s Cameron Pilley and Hollie Naughton of Canada.

Matches will be played over three games – with points counting towards the overall score – a shortened format which will be implemented for the first time at tour level at the Canary Wharf Classic in London next March.

Although the World Team Championships is held biennially, a ‘Test match’ such is this was last given prominence during the 1980s when Channel 4 showcased the team format during the British Open at Wembley.

The line-up will also be seen as an early form guide ahead of next April’s Commonwealth Games, Matthew’s last major tournament before retirement.

He will be aiming for a hat-trick of men’s singles title in the Gold Coast where Willstrop, Selby, Coll and Pilley will also be leading contenders. 

Danny Lee, event promoter and head coach at St George’s, said: “I am delighted England are using this as a proper international. To have six athletes who will be at the Commonwealth Games is a big scoop for us as a club.”

Organisers will trial an innovative referee system on the night, with former Irish pro Steve Richardson working alongside a top official and consulting on decisions. In a sport where few players turn to refereeing following retirement, the concept could prove beneficial in the long term for the world tour.

Lee hopes that the collaboration will spark interest with players, despite the role being largely voluntary. “There is currently a lack of new referees coming through of a sufficient level,” he added.