Cricket Australia’s new chief executive officer Kevin Roberts believes that four-day Test matches could be the need of the hour for the format in the future.
Roberts, who replaced James Sutherland as Cricket Australia CEO, feels that the four-day format could have a much greater role to play once the inaugural Test Championship come to an end in 2021.
“Outside the Test Championship that’s (four-day matches) the opportunity,” Roberts told SEN Radio.
“The Test Championship is five-day Test cricket out to 2021, so that doesn’t change, but outside of that there are other possibilities to consider and beyond that, beyond 2021 what it might look like. There’s a bit to be said for it isn’t there, and it’s certainly something I think we need to be open-minded to down the track,” he continued.
Australia are due to host Afghanistan in a one-off Test in 2020 ahead of their next home series against India. The match is likely to serve as a trial run for further four-day Tests in the future for Australia.
Roberts believes four-day Tests are the need of the hour.
The Cricket Australia honcho has urged the sport to keep an open mind with respect to the four-day game.
“The average duration of a Test match is just a shade over four days and certainly without jumping to conclusions that that is the right solution, it is one possibility we’ve got to be open to. There’s been timeless Tests over the years, we know there were even three-day Tests, so Test cricket has not been five days in duration forever, and I think the concept of four days going forward is something we need to be open to without jumping to conclusions,” explained Roberts.
Four-day Test matches used to very much be the norm earlier and were last held in 1973. Last year, the ICC provided official Test recognition to a four-day game between South Africa and Zimbabwe.