The debate regarding whether Test matches should be shortened to four days or should it remain for five days is getting more and more intense. Players like Virat Kohli, Ricky Ponting, and Sachin Tendulkar have already said that the proposal of shortening the Test match to four days is not ideal and it will take the essence out of the game.
Now, MCC, known as the custodians of the game’s laws has also given its verdict on the proposal and noted that the longest format of the game should remain as it is and no changes should be made to the duration of a Test match.
The cricket committee and the world cricket committee of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) have done thorough discussions on the proposal given by the ICC and most of the people in those committees recommend that Test cricket should continue to be played for five days.
“MCC has noted the recent discussion regarding the future of test cricket and the ICC’s desire to debate the introduction of four-day test cricket to replace the current five-day format in the World Test Championship from 2023,” said MCC.
However, they did explain that the four-day Test matches could bring some benefits to the game but the essence of a Test match will be gone.
“The MCC Cricket committee and MCC World Cricket committee has recently discussed the issue and although they can see some benefits that four-day Test cricket could bring, both committees believe that test cricket should continue to be played over five days,” added MCC.
Other legends of the game like Shoaib Akhtar, Virender Sehwag, Glenn McGrath Nathan Lyon, Vernon Philander have opposed the idea of four-day Test matches.
“Ridiculous. I’m not a fan of four-day Test matches. I believe you’ll get so many more draws and day five is crucial. One, there’s the weather element. But the wickets these days are probably a lot flatter than they have been in the past, so it allows teams to bat longer and to put pressure on sides,” Lyon said about the four-day Test matches.
On the other hand, The English and South African cricket boards favor the proposal. The ICC will discuss the matter in another round of board meetings later this year.
