ICC to consider 4-day Test Matches

Mumbai: The International Cricket Council cricket(ICC) committee is likely to consider four-day Test matches as being part of the World Test Championship from 2023. 

Four-day Test matches could become mandatory as part of the World Test Championship from 2023, with the ICC's cricket committee likely to formally consider the change in 2020 amid widespread discussions among member boards about how to reduce numerous pressure points in the global cricket calendar for the future.

The game is ever evolving and the latest proposed change is one that hasn’t exactly been well received.

Earlier in 2019 the ICC approved a change to Test cricket with players to wear their surnames and numbers on their backs.

A proposed change to four-day Tests is igniting debate in the cricket world, and one ex-England skipper believes the change is a must.

Current Australian skipper Tim Paine is opposed to the change, pointing to the recent Ashes series which saw several Tests require the full five days before obtaining a result.

Australia captain Tim Paine shared his views after Australia's 247-run victory over New Zealand in Melbourne. "We might not have got a result if we'd done that in the Ashes, I think every game went to a fifth day," he said.

As Test cricket struggles for popularity with fans queuing up to watch the shorter formats, besides day-night games, a suggestion has been to trim matches into four-day affairs. South Africa played Zimbabwe in a four-day Test in December, 2017 and England faced newbies Ireland this year. Australia will host Afghanistan in a four-day Test next summer.

Though these games have International Cricket Council (ICC) approval, they have essentially been one-off affairs.

Indian cricket Board president, Sourav Ganguly, said it is too early to comment. “First we will have to see the proposal, let it come… It’s too early to say. Can’t comment just like this,”

One factor is ICC wanting to free up the calendar to push its plan to organise a World Cup every year. “There is excitement about the World Cup because it is held every four years, if you conduct it every other year it will be like any other trophy,” BCCI treasurer Arun Dhumal said, the board is yet to hear about any four-day Test plan from ICC.

Heavyweights in the ICC Board have not been impressed with the world body’s move to increase the frequency of world events. In a counter to ICC’s plan, BCCI has floated the idea of a four-nation limited-overs tournament involving the Big Three boards (India, Australia and England) and one another board.