Former India opener Virender Sehwag has joined the bandwagon of cricketers who have opposed the idea of four-day Test.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) is mulling over trimming Tests to four days from five for the 2023-2031 World Test Championship cycle. The idea behind this thought process is to free up the calendar to accommodate more commercially lucrative white-ball cricket.
Read Also: Virat Kohli strongly opposes the idea of four-day Test
While delivering the seventh Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi Lecture at the BCCI Awards function in Mumbai on Sunday (January 12), Sehwag compared the five-day format to baby diapers, saying both should be changed only when it becomes completely redundant.
"I have always supported change. I captained India in its first T20 game and I am proud of that. I was also part of India's World T20 winning team in 2007. But five-day Test cricket is romance," Sehwag said.
"Innovations like names in jerseys and pink ball Tests are fine. But diaper and five-day Tests should only be changed when its finished, when it can't be used anymore. Five-day Test is not finished. Test cricket is a 143-year old fit person. It has a soul. 'Char din ki sirf chandni hi hoti hai....Test cricket nahin' (four days of moon is fine, not Test cricket)," he further added.
The ICC cricket committee is set to discuss the four-day Test proposal in the next round of the ICC meetings, slated to be held in Dubai from March 27-31.
Since India skipper Virat Kohli and head coach Ravi Shastri have strongly opposed the idea of four-day Test, the ICC is likely is get a red flag from BCCI.
Earlier, a BCCI official had told IANS that the board will discuss the matter with Cricket Australia (CA) and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).
"See, it is only right that you discuss these matters and we will do the same with CA, ECB and Cricket South Africa. But as things stand now, we are on the same platform as our skipper and coach and don't see much sense in cutting Test cricket to four days from the conventional five. In fact, it is not just our captain or coach, you have also heard the likes of Joe Root and Faf du Plessis make their opinions clear on the matter. It might be an option for the lower ranked teams, but not when two big teams clash. Tradition can't be toyed with," the official had said.
(With IANS inputs)
