Former India captain Ravi Shastri called for significant reforms in Test cricket, proposing a reduction in the number of teams playing red-ball cricket to six or seven.
Speaking at a symposium hosted by the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) on Sunday, Shastri, who also served as India’s head coach, shared his ideas for improving the future of the sport.
The former Indian coach believes that cricket is meaningless with few spectators on the ground. He emphasized the importance of quality over quantity in the longest format of the game.
“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 sport wants,” Shastri stated.
He proposed a more streamlined structure for Test cricket, advocating for a reduction from the current 12 teams to six or seven, coupled with a promotion and relegation system.
“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,” he added.
Shastri’s statement highlights the importance of focusing on elite competition will preserve the prestige and excitement of Test cricket, while other formats can continue to expand and promote the sport globally.
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