ICC chief fears for future of Test cricket

– Test cricket is “dying”, the chairman of the sport’s governing body warned on Thursday, adding the new world championship could help save the longest format of the game.

While Tests in Australia and England still draw huge crowds, filling stadiums and boosting interest in the five-day game has been a challenge in the rest of the cricket world for years.

“We are trying to see whether (the) Test championship can generate interest, because Test cricket is actually dying to be honest,” International Cricket Council chairman Shashank Manohar told reporters in Dhaka.

“So to improve the situation, the ICC board came to a conclusion that if we start a Test championship, it would keep Test cricket alive and generate more interest

Dhaka

in the game.”

The Ashes series between arch-rivals England and Australia will kick off the World Test Championship in July, and the two top sides will face off in a final in 2021.

Manohar said the shortest version of the game provides maximum ratings for broadcasters.

“Nowadays, people don’t have five days to watch a Test. People have jobs so it is very difficult for them to watch Tests,” he said.

T20s are “over in 3.5 hours, like watching a movie”.

Manohar, a former president of the Indian cricket board, said the sport still faces challenges, including being added to the Olympics.

ICC officials have expressed their willingness to submit an application for cricket to be included in the Paris 2024 Games. –