New Delhi: ICC chairman Shashank Manohar has said that Test cricket is dying and the World Test championship, which is set to begin after the World Cup, will be able to revive the longest format of the game.
“We are trying to see whether Test championship can generate interest. Because Test cricket is actually dying to be honest,” Manohar was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo. “So to improve the situation, we are trying ways and means. The (ICC) board directors came to a conclusion that if we start a Test championship, it would keep Test cricket alive and generate more interest in the game. If you look at the TRPs of the broadcasters, T20 has the maximum TRP. It is because of being the shorter version of the game. Nowadays, people don’t have five days time to watch a Test match.”
The ICC’s long-awaited league competition for Test cricket will be contested over two-year cycles. The first edition of the championship is set to begin at the conclusion of the 2019 World Cup and run until April 2021, when the two top teams will meet in a championship final. Manohar also said that logistical problems are proving to be a major hurdle to their plans of including cricket in Olympics.
“We are trying to take it to Olympics but there are certain hurdles. The bigger issue is the Olympics is held over 15 days. How do you finish a world event of cricket in fifteen days?,” he said.
“For that, you need cricket stadiums also. Olympics are not held only in cricket-playing countries. They are played elsewhere, so to finish the tournament you will need a minimum of four stadiums.”