Virender Sehwag, former Indian player now showed his support for the five-day Test cricket. Sehwag, during the BCC Awards on Sunday, echoed Virat Kohli’s words on ICC’s recent proposal of trimming the longer format of the game.
Sehwag doesn’t endorse four-day Test
While delivering the seventh Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi Lecture at the BCCI Awards, Sehwag said that he is okay with modifications like pink ball Tests but not in favour of reducing the number of days in the most traditional version of the game. Sehwag said, “I have always supported the change. I captained India in its first T20 game and I am proud of that. I was also part of India’s World T20 winning team in 2007. But five-day Test cricket is romance.”
He further added, “Innovations like names in jerseys and pink ball Tests are fine. But diaper and five-day Tests should only be changed when it’s finished when it can’t be used anymore. The five-day Test is not finished. Test cricket is a 143-year old fit person. It has a soul. ‘Char din ki Sirf Chandni hi hoti hai…Test cricket nahin.”
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are against the idea
Virat Kohli, earlier this month also opposed the idea as his coach and deputy followed him. Kohli said. “According to me, it should not be altered. As I said, the day-night is another step towards commercializing Test cricket and you know, creating excitement around it, but it can’t be tinkered with too much. I don’t believe so.”
Kohli thinks that in case of modifications, only the idea of Day-Night Test should be welcomed. According to Rohit Sharma, a four-day cricket match is equivalent to a first-class match and not an international one. “If it is a four-day, it is not a Test match. Four-day means a first-class match. It is as simple as that.”
Sourav Ganguly already mentioned that it is too early to talk about this proposal but Cricket Australia and England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) are okay with the idea. Now after this kind of rejections from the biggest cricket market, how ICC works on the conception that needs to be observed.
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