Popularity and following of Test cricket is more important than tradition, says Sanjay Manjrekar

Manjrekar says ICC should take the decision keeping in mind fans' preferences.

Test cricket is still famous in England and Australia | Getty Images

Former Indian cricketer and cricket pundit Sanjay Manjrekar has joined the debate over the ICC's mandatory four-day Test cricket proposal became a hot topic for discussion among the cricket fraternity across the world.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) are mulling over mandating four-day Test cricket from the next ICC FTP cycle beginning 2023 with the ICC’s cricket committee set to discuss the same in March before making its recommendations forward to the sport’s governing body.

While the cricketing greats likes of Ricky Ponting, Sachin Tendulkar, Shoaib Akhtar and Glenn McGrath have voiced against the proposal, Manjrekar has a different take on the matter, saying the desicuion should be taken keeping fans of the modern generation in mind and not the traditionalists.

Read Also: Giles, Strauss differ in opinion over proposal to mandate four-day Test cricket 

Manjrekar told Mumbai Mirror, “Keep the core intact, but cater Test cricket to fans' preferences. Television plays an important part here. They (the stakeholders of the game) know what exactly the fans want. Romantics of the game don't.”

He signed off by saying, “Beware of the romantics of the game who want to stick to the tradition of Test cricket and make it more and more unviable in today's world. Popularity and following of Test cricket is more important than tradition.”

(With Mumbai Mirror Inputs)

 
 

By Rashmi Nanda - 11 Jan, 2020

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