Ever since the concept of the four-day Tests has been flouted by the ICC, cricket fans and experts alike have voiced their opinion on the matter. While Graeme Smith, Ricky Ponting, Glenn McGrath and Misbah Ul Haq, among others, have stated that the ICC should stick to the traditional five-day format, Sanjay Manjrekar is in favor of the move, and added that the “romantics” of the game should keep the fans’ preferences in mind as well.
Speaking to Mumbai Mirror, the former cricket, who is now a commentator, stated that any decision regarding Test cricket should be made keeping the fans and the youngsters in mind and not the traditionalists.
“Keep the core intact but cater Test cricket to fans’ preferences. Television plays an important part here. They (the stakeholders of the game) know what exactly the fans want. Romantics of the game don’t.”
“Beware of the romantics of the game who want to stick to the tradition of Test cricket and make it more and more unviable in today’s world.”
He further gave example of Beatle, the car, which had to be discontinued by manufacturer Volkswagen due to lack of demand. He said, “Popularity and following of Test cricket is more important than tradition.”
The Mumbaikar is of the view that the move must have been promoted by the broadcasters, who want more time available to show limited over matches that have more fan following. He, however, added that there is nothing wrong in preferring to show T20Is and ODIs over Tests.
“Keep the core intact but cater Test cricket to fans’ preferences. Television plays an important part here. They [the stakeholders of the game] know what exactly the fans want. Romantics of the game don’t.”
The other players who have questioned ICC’s decision are Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Sourav Ganguly.
