Test is purest form of cricket, should not be tinkered with, attests Sachin Tendulkar

The latest ICC proposal to tinker with the traditional format of the game has not gone down well with most, including the Indian batting legend, who noted that taking away the fifth day from spinners would be just like not allowing the pacers to bowl on the first day of a Test. 

“There is T20, there is one-dayers and then there are T10 and 100-ball cricket. Test is the purest form of cricket. It should not be tinkered with,” Sachin was quoted as saying by Mumbai Mirror. 

“Spinners look forward to bowling with the scuffed ball, taking advantage on day five of the roughs created on the wicket. All that is a part of Test cricket. Is it fair to take that advantage away from the spinners,” he said.

While Sachin agrees that the longest form of the game needs a revival, in terms of popularity, he wants the ICC to look at improving the quality of pitches as the solution instead of scrapping a day.

“The ICC, in my view, should focus on providing quality playing surfaces. Let the ball do things - spin, seam, swing and bounce. It will automatically liven-up the game. It will also throw up more results. Currently, there are far too many dead games,” Sachin added.

Earlier, former opener Gautam Gambhir and India skipper Virat Kohli also came out speaking against the ICC’s proposal.