The ICC cricket committee seems unfazed by the widespread criticism it is facing for the proposal to mandate four-day Test cricket from next FTP cycle with its head and former India captain Anil Kumble confirming that the discussions will definitely be held over the idea in the next round of the ICC meetings in Dubai from March 27-31.
"Since I am part of the committee, I can’t tell what I am thinking about it (proposal) at the moment. We will discuss it in the meeting and let you know," Kumble told PTI. The panel, headed by Kumble, also includes the likes of Andrew Strauss, Rahul Dravid, Mahela Jayawardene and Shaun Pollock.
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While BCCI president Sourav Ganguly fended off the questions on this matter saying "it is too early" to talk about it, India captain Virat Kohli didn't take the diplomatic route and publicly expressed his displeasure over the proposal.
"According to me, it should not be altered," Kohli told reporters. "As I said, the day-night is another step towards commercialising Test cricket and you know, creating excitement around it, but it can’t be tinkered with too much."
"Then you are purely only talking about getting numbers, entertainment and you know. I think the intent will not be right then because then you will speak of three-day Tests. I mean where do you end. Then you will speak of Test cricket disappearing. So I don’t endorse that at all."
The idea, as understood, is mooted by less financially able ICC full-members, who find hosting Test cricket a burden to their finance and believe, the four-day version played from Thursdays to Sundays would make it a slightly more cost-efficient affair.
"I understand there is a commercial side to it, saving money and things like that and how they would start on a Thursday to finish on Sunday," former Australia captain Ricky Ponting told cricket.com.au.
"I’d like to hear the other reasons behind it. I don’t understand it enough and I’m very much a traditionalist, so if something’s not really badly broken then why do we need to fix it or change it?"
Ponting, like Kohli, disapproved the idea, and so did the great Sachin Tendulkar recently. "Spinners look forward to bowling with the scuffed ball, taking advantage on day five of the roughs created on the wicket. All that is a part of Test cricket. Is it fair to take that advantage away from the spinners?" he asked in an interview given to Mumbai Mirror.
"There is T20, it is one-dayers and then there are T10 and 100-ball cricket. The test is the purest form of cricket. It should not be tinkered with."
