Kevin Pietersen’s remarks on the future of Test cricket will stun you

Pietersen feels Test cricket will survive only in five out of the current 10 full members of the ICC in the next decade.

Kevin Pietersen has played 104 Tests played for England | Getty

Former England batsman Kevin Pietersen on Monday (February 19) expressed his concern over the future of Test cricket. Pietersen, who has represented England in 104 Tests, claimed that Test cricket will survive only in 5 out of the current 10 Test playing nations in the next ten years.

Pietersen feels only England, South Africa, India, Pakistan and Australia will be featuring in the longest format of cricket in the next decade. Predicting the future of other countries including West Indies, New Zealand and Sri Lanka, the 37-year-old said they will continue to have ‘white ball cricketers’.

Taking to micro-bogging site Twitter, KP wrote: “Here we go - in 10yrs the only cricket Test playing nations will be, England, SA, India, Pakistan & Australia. The rest will all be white ball cricketers! Just remember this tweet!”

The biggest omission in Pietersen’s list that grabbed everyone’s attention is the West Indies – a team that had dominated world cricket from 1970s to mid-1990s. However, considering the downfall of West Indies cricket in the last two decades Kevin’s words may come true. It is worth mentioning here that the Caribbean team haven’t won a Test series against any aforementioned sides for nearly a decade.

Interestingly, Pietersen also omitted New Zealand – the team currently led by one of the best Test batsmen in the world, Kane Williamson. Just a few years ago, Sri Lanka used to boast the players of the caliber of Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene and Muttiah Muralitharan. However, looking at their recent downfall, KP reckons that the team from island won’t be playing Test cricket in the next decade.

 
 

By Salman Anjum - 20 Feb, 2018

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