The International Cricket Council (ICC) is considering to shorten the Test matches from 2023 and make them four-day Tests to ease the player workload. As a lot of traditional cricket fans or the purists have been critical about this change, the England wicket-keeper batsman Jos Buttler feels that cricket must be “open to change” as he sees the benefits of four-day Tests.

“I think the administrators and broadcasters have got to look at the best way to preserve Test cricket. It’s the best form of the game, so how can we maintain that and keep moving the game on? If that’s the option, moving it to four days, that has to be looked at,” Buttler said.

ICC cricket committee to consider mandating four-day Test

“I like that it’s five days when you get a fantastic Test that finishes on day five with all three results possible there’s nothing else really like that in cricket. As with everything times change, things change, and the game has to evolve with that. Everyone has to be open to change if that’s what is needed,” he added.

South African pacer Vernon Philander who is set to retire at the end of the ongoing series against England wants Test cricket to survive.

“I hope it doesn’t come to an end, hopefully, we can still see five-day Test matches. T20 cricketers come and go, the names come and go, but Test cricket is the ultimate. I’m a purist when it comes to cricket and I’d like to see Test matches survive for the full five days,” Philander said.

South Africa’s Rassie van der Dussen, just like his teammate wants full five-day Tests as he said, “With the calendars these days you have to consider it. Pitches do deteriorate in four days to get a result and that would make groundsmen prepare pitches that force a result in four days. It’s something to consider.”

(With The Guardian inputs)