Don't impose Test cricket

Indian captain M S Dhoni wants the ICC to stipulate that Test-playing nations must play a minimum number of matches every year. His concern for Test cricket, echoed by teammates like Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid before, is valid. But making Test cricket compulsory is no solution to the falling interest in the format. If cricketing bodies across countries are giving priority to T20 and one-day games over Tests, that's because they are relatively more popular than Tests and bring in revenue.

More Tests would mean fewer T20s and one-day games. That may appeal to cricket aficionados. But they are few in number and they alone can't keep the game going. Cricket's popularity began to soar only after the limited over format was invented. T20 is a further improvisation on the 50-over format. Together, they have raised the mass appeal of cricket and transformed the game to make it more entertaining. T20 has revived spectator interest in cricket, which is evident in the packed stadiums hosting these matches. In contrast, Test cricket is increasingly played before empty stands.

It is best to recognise the new reality and prioritise accordingly. Accordingly, Test matches will have to make way for T20 and one-day games. This trend need not necessarily mean an end to Test cricket. Test-playing nations can continue to play them, but fewer of them as compared to before. Now, if spectators demand more Tests - a clear sign of that will be the attendance in stadiums and TRP ratings - surely the ICC must ask country boards to organise more of them. But, please don't impose Test cricket.

There is a tendency among some cricketers to blame the limited overs format for the decline in Test cricket. Pakistan captain Mohammad Yousuf thinks that T20 will stifle Test cricket in his country. But how? Pakistani team's failures have more to do with the civil strife in that country, which has prevented cricket teams from playing there. The lack of experience in playing international teams regularly has made the Pakistani team inconsistent. Elsewhere, T20 has fuelled an explosion of talent and forced cricketers to innovate. We can see its positive impact on Test cricket, where teams now score runs at a faster rate than before.