Former Australia captain Ian Chappell said that now it is upto the world’s leading players to come together if they think Test cricket is the pinnacle of the game and they want to save the future of the format.
Chappell in his column for ESPNCricinfo mentioned that the top players in the world need to come together and put forth suggestions to make the five-day international cricket format more attractive and keep it relevant, and mentioned that India captain Virat Kohli could be the spokesperson for the format.
He added that too many formats are making the cricket schedule cluttered and this might result in a dip in performances of players in the longest format.
"In a revealing and thoughtful interview during the Trent Bridge match, the current poster boy for Test cricket, Virat Kohli, made an interesting observation. When asked about the murky future of the game's longest form, he replied: It depends on the quality of cricket; it's the players who keep Test cricket alive," Chappell wrote in his column for ESPNCricinfo.
For the former Australia skipper, the players need to hold a summit with Kohli in charge.
"If those skills are properly honed, a player can adapt to any length of the game - Kohli being a good example. If players truly believe Test cricket is the pinnacle then they need to agitate for a summit on the game's future; they could do no better than appoint Kohli their spokesperson," he further wrote.
He further mentioned that Test-playing nations won’t be producing good cricketers for the longest version till the players of this generation are groomed to only play the shorter formats of the game which are lucrative and this dilutes the general quality of players coming through the system.
“The skills required to excel at Test level need to be acquired at a young age and then honed in tough competition as the player rises through the grades. This can only be achieved if enough countries have a functional development system. If this is the case then Test cricket can remain vibrant, otherwise, it will wither on the vine," said Chappell.
He further mentioned the non-improvement of slip catching and sought clarification on the comment that the advent of T20 is the only reason for the improvement of overall fielding standards and more innovative shots being played.
(ANI/PTI inputs)
