The increasing popularity of international Test cricket (which began in 1877) saw interest in Gentlemen v Players begin to decline, a process accelerated by the weakening of the social class system in the 20th century. After the Second World War, the concepts of amateurism and selecting teams based on social class were seen as increasingly anachronistic. In 1963, the MCC abolished amateur status, causing all first-class cricketers to become professionals. As the official distinction between the teams no longer existed, the Gentlemen v Players fixture was discontinued. No direct substitute was implemented, instead England's first domestic one day cricket competition began that summer.