Mark Taylor suggests radical Test cricket change
AAP
Former Australia captain Mark Taylor believes Test cricket should be slashed to four days in a bid to revitalise the game.
Test cricket’s first day-night match begins this week, as Australia and New Zealand do battle at the Adelaide Oval, and if the experiment is successful, the ability to play in the evening could open several doors for administrators.
Taylor supports a Thursday-to-Sunday model for Test matches and feels it is the best way to keep young fans interested.
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“The younger generation generally want more instant gratification and I think over five days, to keep them interested, is not so easy,” Taylor said in the Herald Sun.
“But if you have four good days of Test cricket, it would finish on the Sunday and you have more chance of people coming along to the final day’s play.
“As someone said to me years ago, why are we surprised when people go to one-day cricket and T20 cricket more than they do a Test match, when we put all the one-dayers and T20s on in school holidays and at night.”
Like many, Taylor also feels an overall Test championship – giving each series increased relevance – would be a good move.
His thoughts were echoed by Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland.
He said in the Herald Sun: “Some sort of Test championship, where every Test is for points, is something that’s important for the future development and attractiveness of Test cricket.”
The third and final Test between Australia and New Zealand starts on Friday. Steve Smith’s Australia lead the series 1-0 and have already retained the Chappell-Hadlee trophy.