Former Australian captain Mark Taylor has called for the introduction of four-day Tests to bring fans back to cricket’s longer forms.
The idea of four-day Tests is not new – the concept was first floated with the International Cricket Council in 2003.
Taylor, a Cricket Australia board member, sees a scheduling benefit too, with the matches beginning on Thursdays for games to build to a Sunday evening climax – much like golf tournaments.
“It’ll only add to the appeal of the game, make it a bit shorter and a bit faster. That’s what people of this generation want to see,” the retired opening batsman told SEN radio on Tuesday.
“You’ve got one less day to win, lose or draw a game, so it does force captains and players to be a little bit more aggressive in their thinking.”
Taylor said the concept would appease traditionalists like himself, who enjoy the nuances of a protracted battle, as well as new fans who prefer the crash-and-bash of limited overs.
Day-night Test cricket made its debut at Adelaide Oval last year when Australia beat New Zealand as part of the format’s facelift amid declining global interest partly due to greater competition with Twenty20.
And the game’s officials have seemingly embraced the concept, with a pink ball Test played in the United Arab Emirates between Pakistan and the West Indies this month, while England will host the Windies in whites under lights at Edgbaston in August next year.
Taylor believes day-night Test cricket is only one way to make the game more viewer-friendly.
“The numbers around the world are dying in some countries,” Taylor said.
“That’s why I think we have got to have the stuff like the day-night Test matches and … start thinking seriously about having four-day games of Test cricket.”
Taylor’s former teammate Shane Warne also lamented at the state of the game, taking to Twitter to describe Tests as “becoming boring for the fans”.
“Test cricket needs – promotion, more attacking cricket from the captains, pitches need to spin or seam, not flat & players need to entertain,” the spin king tweeted on Monday.
Dalgety Carrington
Roar Guru
I'm sure you'll get those same cliff-hanger type scenarios on a 4th day too. There's nothing especially magical about the 5th day, it's more about the game circumstance. The first day is often awesome, some 3rd days too, lots of great 2nd days as well.
Dalgety Carrington
Roar Guru
By reducing Tests to four days there should be more incentive to produce more lively wickets. With the reduced time to get results you couldn't bat for days and then expect to get a result. Perhaps the ICC should look at an incentivised system that rewards attacking play both from bowlers and batsmen.
Davsa
Guest
All previous correspondents absolutely correct. The administrators of the game need to look at why so many batsmen friendly pitches are produced. Sorry Mark Taylor and Shane Warne but test cricket is not a 5 day game ... It is only scheduled as a 5 day game to ensure a true "test" result. For some reason ( does the T20 influence come in) the guys running the game seem to think we only want to watch great batting. Produce result pitches and the paying public will respond . We also want bowling heroes.
Paul D
Roar Guru
Certainly in Australia the way the WACA has lost its fire is a crying shame. I agree with the original comment, test cricket is poorer for the plethora of flat pitches, particularly in Australia. It has cheapened cricket as a sport. It's not just pitches, they need limits on bat weight and size, and they need cricket balls that have more seam and offer more assistance to the bowlers - in all formats. My thought is that if we are going to keep ODI cricket relevant, we need to end these 360 vs 340 run snoozefests that are just long form 20/20 and start seeing how the public respond to pitches prepared deliberately tough for batting. Show a microcosm of a test match in a 50 over game. Where suddenly 200 is a good score and every run is precious, because the pitch is an absolute green top, or a dustbowl. We're already engineering conditions for day/night test cricket, why not try it for ODI's? I know the obvious counter-argument is broadcasters wanting long games for ad revenue but surely there is room to chuck at least one real tricky pitch into the ODI component of the summer and see what sort of game they get.
Johnno
Guest
A 5th day is an awesome event in test cricket. We cram 4-day tests, you'll have players plaint 9hour days 4 days in a row. 8hours in match plays 1-hour for rests, and the standard of cricket will drop as fatigue sets in, and if it's a flat track bowlers will be exhausted and cannon fodder.
Simon
Guest
I want to see test matches that last 3 or 4 days, but because of the pitch having life in it not because the rules dictate so. It's incredible that Cricket Australia can have a whole marketing team and yet the last two summers have been 3/550 declared scores basically every game
Tim Holt
Roar Guru
spot on Australia used to have six Test venues with individual characteristics that played out over five days. Now they are almost indistinguishable from each other. The Gabba, WACA, Adelaide Oval and MCG may as well be all the same pitch and the SCG and Bellerive aren't far behind becoming the same lifeless batsmen friendly venues that the other four already are. i would go so far that with the demise of the great Windies, the degradation of the WACA pitch is arguably crickets greatest tragedy
BrainsTrust
Guest
Flat wickets mean the test runs to the 5th day another financial objective. Taylor was a smart cricketer , these days he is acting dumb to sell people on bean counters objectives. Taylor is selling test cricket down the river.
BurgyGreen
Guest
Yes, it's funny that administrators and people like Taylor don't seem to grasp this. Flat wickets suck any intrigue out of the game.
JamesH
Roar Guru
How about we make pitches more sporting first? Surely the roads are putting more people off than the length of the match?