Michael Vaughan, a former cricketer for England, reportedly requested a three-month window set aside only for Test matches and no other formats on X, formerly known as Twitter. The tweet was about defending the longest format in cricket, as recently, shorter formats have been given priority by the cricketing boards and a number of players.
It’s important to remember that India and England will play a five-match Test series starting on January 25 on the subcontinent. This will be the Three Lions’ first red-ball match of the year. The former English cricket player expressed his preference for the red-ball format and stated that the oldest format in the game should have its own timetable.
Numerous T20 leagues are being staged all around the world, and according to Michael Vaughan, they should all take place, but not within the time slot set aside for the longest format. The 49-year-old stated in a recent X post that all domestic leagues, including the ICC’s main events, ought to take place outside of the window.
“The only way to preserve the best format is to set aside three months each year for both the men’s and women’s teams to play Test cricket. During those three months, there should be no other cricket matches; the remaining nine months are used for league and ICC events,” wrote Vaughan.
A 3 month dedicated window for Test cricket every year for both the men & women’s teams is the only way to protect the greatest format .. no other cricket but Test around those 3 months .. the other 9 months for all the leagues ICC events ..
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) January 20, 2024
Now, four-day games ought to be the norm: Michael Vaughan
The former cricket player also discussed ways to extend the existence of Test cricket. In response to a user who expressed concern that Test cricket was soon to become extinct, Vaughan expressed agreement with the user’s viewpoint and suggested that the duration of the Test be shortened from five to four days in order to ensure its survival. Overall, he believes that three months of four-day games will assist to sustain Tests.
“You might be correct, which is why we need to do every effort to preserve it. I also think that four-day games should be the norm today,”Michael Vaughan tweeted.
In the meantime, the World Test Championship (WTC) cycle 2023–25 will feature the first Test, which is scheduled to take place in Hyderabad. The Indian squad has 26 points from four games, good for second position in the WTC rankings right now. However, England, captained by Ben Stokes, is now in seventh place with nine points from five games. As they tour India, they will be hoping for a strong showing to move up the standings with this series.
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