COACH’S PLEA TO SAVE TEST CRICKET
West Indies coach Andre Coley has called on cricket’s leadership to put up or shut up when it comes to saving the Test format globally, while floating the idea of four-day Tests in a bid to make it more appetising to players.
The Windies have been widely written off for the Frank Worrell Trophy series, which begins in Adelaide on Wednesday. Having not beaten in Australia in a Test series in more than three decades, and not even won a Test against the Aussies in more than 20 years, the Windies have picked a squad that contains seven uncapped players.
Former captain Jason Holder and all-rounder Kyle Mayers have opted out of the series to prioritise franchise commitments elsewhere.
Such is life for the former Test powerhouse.
The region can still produce worldclass cricketers but can’t pay them enough to always choose Test cricket. It is not a new phenomenon for the Windies.
But they may merely have been the canary in the coalmine for the format given South Africa has named a massively depleted squad to tour New Zealand this month after its board told stars to put the Indianbacked SA20 competition first.
Australian cricket leaders have discussed the idea of setting up a global funding pool to ensure Test cricket remains viable for more than just a handful of nations.
Coley said talk was one thing but actions were another. “If we have enough powerbrokers around world cricket who are keen on ensuring that Test cricket continues to be played and becomes a viable option for players, young players, then those people have to voice those opinions and in the lobbies and rooms that can make those decisions,” Coley said.
“It comes down to the people who make the decisions around who can influence decisions.”