Four day Test is nonsense, no need to tamper Test cricket, opines Ravi Shastri
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Team India head coach Ravi Shastri, on Thursday, slammed the new concept of implementing four-day Tests, calling it ‘nonsense’ and tampering the traditional format. The ICC has proposed the idea of four-day Tests that have found the cricketing world in two splits with most players opposing it.
International Cricket Council(ICC) recently made a proposal of shorting the oldest format of five-day Tests to four-day Test matches that have led to two poles of opinion by the cricketing fraternity. A large majority of former and current cricketers have opposed the idea of tinkering with the oldest format.
Ravi Shastri has become the latest major name to have joined the list of current and former greats that includes the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Virat Kohli, to have opposed the new idea.
Shastri has termed the new concept as ‘nonsense’. He also explained that if at all there is a need to implement or experiment the new idea, it should be tried with the six lower-ranked teams rather than the top six.
“Four day Test is nonsense. If this goes on we may have limited overs Tests. There is no need to tamper with five-day Tests. If at all they want to tamper then let the top six sides play five-day Tests and the next six be allowed to play four-day Tests. If you want preserve Tests then let the top six play more against each other. You have the shorter format to popularise the game,” Shastri said in an interview with CNN News18.
Shastri also opined that the day-night Test matches are not yet 100% success with him considering it as a work in progress, especially from the spinner’s perspective. He also pointed out that certain changes are required in the pink ball to incorporate more spinners’ role in the day-night Tests.
“Day-night Test is still under test. I still feel that the pink ball does not give any advantage to spinners, they need to get the ball right for day night. During the day you have full Tests, by night it looks like half Test.
“I still feel that you will get more people to watch Tests if you have the top six play each other (more often).”
