New Delhi [India], Jan 6 : Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar has opposed the idea of playing a four-day Test and called it a “rubbish”.
“The idea of play four-day Test match is rubbish and no one should be interested in this. Sourav Ganguly will not let this thing happen as he is an intelligent man with a lot of cricketing experience. He will not let the Test cricket die,” Akhtar said in a video posted on his Youtube channel.
The 44-year-old legendary speedster said, the apex body of cricket, International Cricket Council will not be able to implement the four-day Test without the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) approval. He further stated that more cricketers from Asia should come forward to voice their opinion.
“The ICC can not implement a four-day Test without BCCI’s permission. I want more people from Pakistan, India, and Sri Lanka to come forward and give a strong statement about this. I want legendary cricketers from my country to voice their opinion,” he said.
“Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli came up with a very strong statement which I love about them. I wanted to voice my opinion when it comes to saving Test cricket. It is very important for each one of us to raise a voice and make sure that we save the longest format of the game,” he added.
India skipper Virat Kohli on Saturday said that he is not a fan of four-day Tests and the longest format of the game should not be tinkered much.
“I am not a fan of it. I was asked about the hundred ball tournament. I said I would not go out there to play this particular format. There are already too many formats. Day-night Test is the most that should be changed about the longest format of the game,” Kohli told reporters on the eve of the first T20I in Guwahati.
“If the four-day Test happens, the intent would not be right. It is not fair to the purest form of the game. According to me, it should not be altered. The longest format cannot be tinkered with much,” he added.
Earlier, it was reported that four-day Tests could become a regular feature as part of the 2023 World Test Championship (WTC) as the ICC’s cricket committee is likely to deliberate upon the change.
There has been widespread discussion among cricketing boards on how to reduce pressure points in the global cricket calendar in the future, ESPNcricinfo reported.
If the change indeed takes place, it would allow for more Test series to be played over three or five matches. Australia will most likely be playing its first four-day Test against Afghanistan at home next year, according to ESPNcricinfo.
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