Graeme Pollock concerned for the future of Test cricket – Cricket News Update
Graeme Pollock, the former South African player thinks that the Test cricket may disappear from scene in coming years.
“It’s ludicrous. The minimum number of Tests these teams (South Africa and Australia) should play against each other is four,” Pollock said.
Pollocks’ comments have come in the wake of International Cricket Council’s decision to postpone the much anticipated Test Championship from 2013 to 2017.
Earlier the world’s governing body decided to change the schedule for its ICC Champions Trophy limited-overs tournament from 2013 and announced to hold the event in that year in England. According to plans the top four teams in
the Test rankings were supposed to play semi-finals; whereas the final game were to decide about the inaugural Test Championship.
“Test cricket is dying a slow death and this kind of thing does not help,” Pollock added.
Other than Pollock, many other cricketers as well as experts opposed the ICC’s decision of moving Test cricket. As the Sri Lankan wicket-keeper batman Kumar Sangakkara has also said that the decision was disappointing for the longest
format of the game.
Apart from Sangakkara, the South African skipper Graeme Smith has also expressed his displeasure over the delay of World’s Test Championship, saying that it was not a right decision.
He asserted that no doubt the global cricket governing body might have its own reasons but five years is quite long period.
Australian pacer Ryan Harris has condemned ICC’s decision stating that the world governing body should make the Test format of the game its first priority.
”Two-Test series, personally in my point of view, are pointless,” he said. ”If it’s 1-1 at the end of the series you walk away with an empty feeling. Three-Test series have to be a minimum, if not more,” said Harris while talking
about the two-match Test series between Australia and South Africa, which ended in a draw.
Currently, the shortest format of the game is getting much popularity all over the world. As most of the cricket playing nations now have introduced their league Twenty20 tournaments, which has hampered the longest format of the
game.