Last month, Cricket South Africa opened a can of worms after announcing their squad for the upcoming New Zealand tour. The board’s decision made people think it was the start of the death of Test cricket. Former great of the game, Steve Waugh, also joined the bandwagon, asking the big nations and the ICC to step up and save the game.
To preserve Test cricket, ECB managing director Rob Key has provided a solution. While talking on the BBC’s Tailenders podcast, Key suggested that the longest format of the game requires specific windows.
“Test cricket needs to have windows. There was a two-month window for the Ashes last summer – that could be one. There could be one at Christmas.
“There are all of these franchise competitions, like the IPL, and there is a global white-ball competition every year. Test cricket needs a window where you can’t play anything else.”
Rob Key also took some responsibility, claiming that it’s upon the big 3 nations (India, Australia, and England) along with the ICC to look after Test cricket.
“The rest of us – England, Australia, India and the International Cricket Council in particular – need to look after the other countries.
“We have to stop being snobby about Test cricket. We have this view that you can’t play Test cricket unless you have played 150 red-ball games, or play in a certain way. No, just pick the most talented players,” Rob Key concluded.