Everybody wants to play Test cricket, that is very clear, states Anil Kumble
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Anil Kumble believed that there was a great desire among the players still to play and excel in Test cricket even though the craze of T20 cricket is increasing day by day. Kumble was initially the head of the ICC Cricket Committee, will chair a discussion over four-day Tests in March.
The growing opposition to four-day Tests have clearly stated the desire of the players to excel in the longest form of the game. Even though the T20 cricket fame is increasing with every passing day, Kumble believed that the traditional red-ball cricket was here to stay. Players like Virat Kohli and Steve Smith who have been prolific in Tests show the kind of desire that the players possess to play the longest format of the game
"I think everybody wants to play Test cricket, that's very clear. The generation of cricketers certainly want five-day cricket and that's something very obvious. There is some challenge in keeping everyone focused and pushed towards playing domestic competition especially Ranji Trophy," Kumble told Cricket Next.
Kumble also mentioned that the game demanded supreme fitness levels and thus staying at the top of their game in all three formats was going to be very difficult for the players. There are few players like Virat Kohli who are performing consistently in all three formats and maintaining their fitness levels. Also, all three formats have different demands of adaptation from players which the players may not always be able to fulfil.
"Very few players are common to formats and it's getting lesser and lesser. But I don't think there is any dearth of people wanting to play the longer format. I think everybody wants to, they realize that's the biggest challenge and I'm sure that's going to be the case for a long time," Kumble asserted.
