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ICC likely to consider introduction of four-day Test cricket from 2023

ICC is likely to consider introduction of four-day Test cricket from 2023 as part of the World Test Championship and the decision will be discussed by Cricket Committee in 2020

ICC may introduce four-day Tests from 2023

Dubai, December 30: In 2020, the International Cricket Council (ICC ) cricket committee may consider bringing in four-day Tests from 2023 as part of the World Test Championship. This change is considered to bring down a cramped global cricket calendar, reported ESPNCricinfo.

However, cricketers themselves might oppose the idea because reducing Test cricket to four days could eliminate the crucial difference point between traditional format of the game and four-day first-class matches. Australian captain Tim Paine expressed a similar fear about four-day Test at the end of the second Test against New Zealand at Melbourne.

On the brighter side, the four-day schedule will allow the Thursday-to-Sunday timetable and more Test series could also be organised.

Cricket Australia CEO Kevin Roberts gave a serious thought to the idea. "It is something that we have got to seriously consider. It is something that can't be driven by emotion, but it needs to be driven by fact. We need to look at what's the average length of Test matches over the past 5-10years in terms of time and overs.

"We need to look at it very carefully and perhaps it is more likely than not in the mid-term future. What we absolutely will do is that over the next 12 to 18 months, is make sure the cricket calendar is nailed down for the years 2023 to 2031," Roberts was quoted as saying by the SEN Radio.

Tony Irish, head of FICA, the international players' body, told ESPNCricinfo: "There are two aspects to four-day Tests, the cricket aspect and the scheduling aspect. It would take pressure off the schedule but our concern would be that the ad hoc way the schedule currently works they would simply plug in more cricket into the gaps. If introduced it therefore has to be part of a more coherent structure."

Incidentally, we have already seen two officially scheduled four-day Tests, one between South Africa and Zimbabwe and the other between England and Ireland. England won by 143 runs at Lord's in July, 2019, while South Africa emerged an innings and 120-run winner at Port Elizabeth in December, 2017.

Story first published: Monday, December 30, 2019, 15:33 [IST]
Other articles published on Dec 30, 2019