Test game’s ‘Match of the Day’ can use its wider reach to turn heroes into household names

Hopefully, the Test match highlights on the BBC can emulate Match of the Day and bring the best format of the game to a huge audience.

If we make sure that by the end of the summer people in this country know our players better and can relate to them then we will have done our jobs pretty well. If we can make the modern-day players household names – some already are after the World Cup – then it will lift the game following a lot of uncertainty this year.

We saw the boost cricket enjoyed last year after the World Cup final was shown free-to-air. While this is not live coverage, it can still have a big impact. Our job is to sell the heroes of the day.

The news released this week about the team presenting the highlights, which I will be a part of, was great for the game. The England team are diverse and draw on all areas of our society and it is great our BBC commentary team reflects that, too.

The highlights were a success on Channel 5 for many years, but I am sure we will get more eyeballs on BBC Two, and that is so important for Test cricket.

Because the action will be behind closed doors this summer, it will feel different but, hopefully, we will be able to have more interaction with England players to make up for that.

England will pick a Test squad of about 20 and there will be the potential to have guest punditry from those not playing as well. We cannot pretend there will not be a crowd there, but it gives us a chance to focus more on the players and what they are doing.

We just have to showcase the play, tell the story of the day and make sure the kids watching can see their heroes and feel a little closer to them.

We will analyse how and why they performed in certain situations and give an insight into the modern way the Test game is played.

Hopefully, we will attract a bigger audience than perhaps we would have done because we are all starved of watching live sport after weeks in lockdown.

The BBC is hugely committed to cricket. It paid a lot of money for rights and will throw its vast resources at the game. It remains committed to the Hundred, which will start next year now, and I think you will see a big presence for cricket on the airwaves, whether it is on BBC breakfast on the television, or Radio 5 Live, or Radio 1 with Greg James, who is a huge cricket fan, Test Match Special, James Anderson’s Tailenders podcast or the other BBC outlets. The opportunities are enormous for cricket.

My approach as a pundit is to be honest without fear or favour. You have to say it as you see it. You have to praise the team when they are doing well, but not gloss over poor performances. Viewers can see right through that.

We are paid for our opinions and, if we think the players have performed badly, then we have to criticise. It is not personal, it is just part of being a pundit.

England made steady progress in Test cricket in South Africa over the winter. I just want to see them continue to realise that you cannot attack all the time in Test cricket. If they want to play that style they will be inconsistent again and not make any real progress.

The fact they found a method and way in South Africa should be their blueprint for Test cricket against every nation in all conditions. You have to bat long periods in the first innings. If that means the scoreboard is not ticking over quickly then fine. Sometimes you have to just keep out the new ball and hang in there.

With the ball in hand, you have to be clever to create angles and build pressure. That is what they did in South Africa in the last three games.

We will find out whether South Africa was the start of a new era or a false dawn when the first Test against West Indies at the Ageas Bowl starts on July 8. We cannot wait.

If we make sure that people know our players better and can relate to them, we will have done our jobs