Mark Taylor pitches support towards four-day matches to revive dwindling interest in Tests

Mark Taylor pitches support towards four-day matches to revive dwindling interest in Tests

Melbourne: Former Australian Test captain Mark Taylor has reiterated his calls for four-day Test cricket in order to revive the dwindling interest in the iconic longer-format of the game. Taylor, who is also a Cricket Australia (CA) board member, said that it was not easy to keep the younger generation interested in the game for over five days as they generally want more instant gratification, News.com.au reported. According to the 51-year-old former opener, a four-day Test cricket would drive more people into stadiums as it would finish on the Sunday. Taylor also believes that the broadcasters wouldn’t mind if the five-day cricket is reduced to four days, with the game finishing over the weekend. In a seismic change to the traditional format, Australia and New Zealand are set to create history by playing the game’s first-ever day and night Test with pink ball in Adelaide Oval from Friday. LIVE CRICKET SCORECARD: Australia vs New Zealand 2015, 3rd Test (Day-Night) at Adelaide

Meanwhile, former Australian cricketer Greg Chappell also pitched his support for the innovative move, endorsing the idea of four-day Tests to shake up the longest form of the game. “It was only the early part of last century they had unlimited days for Test cricket, never ending Tests, they used to go seven or eight days,” Chappell was quoted as saying. READ: Greg Chappell voices support for four-day Test cricket

“In this day and age you have to consider these things. If you played enough overs in the day, and I think they’re talking about 100 overs in the day in four days, that’s 400 overs of Test cricket,” added Chappell.