England's former and current director of cricket, Andrew Strauss and Ashley Giles, respectively, share contrasting opinions over the controversial four-day Test cricket proposal with the ICC cricket committee, that Strauss is part of, set to discuss the issue at length in March, whether fixtures in the next FTP cycle can be trimmed to 98-over per day encounters.
The committee, headed by former India captain Anil Kumble, will offer its recommendation to the world governing body’s executive committee; the proposal will then require documentation signing from all ICC full-members so that it can be implemented on the ground.
Strauss doesn't mind a conversation because he believes this will ease up the schedule in terms of player workload and help with regards to cost in organising Test matches.
"If you asked how many people want to reduce Test matches down from five days to four, the answer is probably not that many," the former opener told the Guardian. "My gut feeling is that we should be looking at the whole picture, how Test cricket can be looking as healthy as possible in future, then work back from that."
While Test cricket remains strong in England, Australia and in India to a lesser extent, the same can't be said about the rest of the world with the likes of South Africa, New Zealand and others finding it extremely difficult to prioritise the long-form game in current financial circumstances.
"We shouldn’t assume Test cricket is healthy just because it is popular in England," Strauss said. "In lots of parts of the world boards are struggling financially and Test cricket is not paying the bills. So we have to look at ways to improve the product for all. That’s the spectacle, the cricket itself, the costs, the schedules, the pitches, the balls, the experience. We need a World Test Championship that is meaningful and compelling. The length of the game is only one part of that bigger discussion."
"This isn’t something that is being proposed with an agenda behind it. No one wants to change for the sake of it. It should be an easy sell or we shouldn’t be doing it."
Giles, on his part, cited the recent England-South Africa Cape Town Test that ended dramatically on the fifth day to make his point in favour to retain the five-day version. "If we played four-day cricket, I fear we would miss out on a lot matches like these," he said. "I know a lot of Test matches now don't go to the fifth day - but you know it is precious to me, and I know it is to the players."
Giles was unfazed despite Strauss and even England and Wales Cricket Board, his current employers, making public their openness to these discussions. "No, I think it's important we look at everything," he said. "There is a decision far from made yet, but it is a responsibility as the guardians for the game in this country to look after everything that would take the game forward, and also look after the workloads of our players."
(Inputs from the Guardian)
