Ravi Shastri - (X.com)
Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri has put forward a special request to ICC and urged them to introduce football-like changes to save Test cricket.
The 62-year-old has called for reducing the number of Test-playing teams to six or seven with a promotion-relegation system to maintain the interest and quality of the traditional format that has suffered due to the rise of T20 leagues and financial incentives.
Speaking at the World Cricket Connects, an event hosted by the Marylebone Cricket Club at the Lord's, Shastri emphasised the need for a significant overhaul in the structure of Test cricket to sustain its relevance and appeal.
"When you don't have quality, that is when the ratings drop, there are fewer people in the crowd, it's meaningless cricket, which is the last thing the sport wants. You have 12 Test match teams. Bring it down to six or seven and have a promotion and relegation system," said Shastri.
"You can have two tiers, but let the top six keep playing to sustain the interest in Test cricket. You can spread the game in other formats, like T20."
Meanwhile, MCC president Mark Nicholas also acknowledged Test cricket's legacy but stated that the sport needs money to sustain itself in a longer run.
"In cricket, money is seen as a dirty word, but it shouldn't be because it is the only way to sustain the game," Nicholas remarked.
The inputs have been taken from PTI.
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