Opinion | Drawing young fans to Tests will be key

In this exercise, length of time becomes a crucial factor. Shorter the duration of a match, less intense is the scrutiny of talent, technique, temperament and character.

The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), which had kept itself aloof so far from the raging debate on whether the tenure of a Test match should be reduced from five days to four, put out a statement on Tuesday that it didn’t support any tinkering with the format as it exists currently.

The flavour and appeal of Test cricket lies in its tenor and texture (Getty Images)

This is in consonance with that of leading players like Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Steve Smith and Ben Stokes (to name four) who plumped for the five-day format emphatically. However, some like current England captain Joe Root and former captain Michael Vaughan believe the four-day format is worth trying out.

Diversity of opinion within the playing fraternity has made the debate spicy and protracted. It has also substantially added to the suspense about which way the pendulum will swing when the ICC’s technical committee meets in the last week of March where this issue will be discussed.

Why is tenure of a Test match significant and is this so sacrosanct as to be unchangeable?

The flavour and appeal of Test cricket lies in its tenor and texture. The word ‘Test’ is telltale. It means supreme examination of ability players have to adapt, adjust, overcome hardships that arise because of opponents and imponderables like weather, wear and tear of pitch etc.

In this exercise, length of time becomes a crucial factor. Shorter the duration of a match, less intense is the scrutiny of talent, technique, temperament and character. Maintaining form, concentration and motivation over a longish period is the extreme challenge that Test cricket imposes.

That said, the tenure of Test matches has seen several changes over decades.

It’s been played over 3, 4, 5, 6 days (for a spell there were even timeless Tests!) at various times. That five-day Tests should have become the convention was a matter of surmise and convenience rather than scientific inquiry.

From a spectator’s point of view, what is important is that the tenure of a match provides enough scope to make it intellectually, emotionally and entertainingly engaging. It is pertinent to remember that limited overs cricket only came into existence because Test cricket stopped living up to its promise in the 1950s and 60s.

Flat pitches, low risk approach by captains and players, high proportion of drawn matches, led to boredom and ennui among fans. This has changed in the past two or three decades. Players have a far more enterprising approach, a pacier game, which has also meant more results.

In this millennium, more than 65 per cent of Tests have produced results, and more than 50 per cent have finished in under four days. These statistics have impelled the ICC to consider reducing the number of days from five to four in Test cricket, freeing up time for other matches—obviously leaning towards T20—in the cricket calendar.

But this is precisely where the thinking goes awry and can be counterproductive for Test cricket. Looked at objectively, the tenure of a match becomes academic beyond a point. Whether five days or four could be debated and decided by players, administrators, broadcasters and sponsors, with supporting data from opinion polls done with fans across the world.

As long as the essential ethos of Test cricket is sustained, an agreement could be forged on how many days should Test matches be played over. However, that still does not resolve the problem confronting the longest format, which is stickiness with fans.

For instance, even matches that have finished within four days haven’t seen big crowds. In fact, barring the Ashes contest, Test cricket is seeing troubled times everywhere else. Even India, which boasts of the largest following for the sport, does not command big crowds, as Kohli lamented earlier this season.

How do you get fans, especially the younger generation, interested? Day-night pink ball matches can be of help, but it needs more than just one or a couple of improvisations to improve the situation.

Some measures that come to mind instantly are strong, creative positioning making Tests something to be cherished. Also, greater participation of star players in domestic first class cricket would help as this would attract young fans, who then grow into understanding and valuing the format.

All told, for Test cricket to regain its pristine, pre-eminent position, it has to become ‘sexy’ again for the fan. This is where the real challenge lies.

The writer is a senior sports analyst. Views are personal.