Agitate for a summit on cricket’s future, make Virat Kohli your spokesperson: Ian Chappell’s message to players

Former Australia skipper Ian Chappell reckons that if players believe Test cricket is the ‘pinnacle’ of the game, they need to push for a summit to discuss ways to keep the format relevant. Chappell also suggested that the players could appoint Indian captain Virat Kohli as their spokesperson.

In an interview during the Trent Bridge match, Kohli had opined that it is the responsibility of players to keep Test cricket alive by producing quality cricket.

Writing in his column for ESPN Cricinfo, Ian Chappell recommended:

“If players truly believe Test cricket is the pinnacle then they need to agitate for a summit on the game's future; they could do no better than appoint Kohli their spokesperson.”

With the plethora of limited-overs contests and T20 leagues springing up across the globe, many cricket experts fear for the future of Test cricket. Ian Chappell agreed that new formats are only cluttering the cricketing schedule. He further wrote:

“The players should want more of a say in the future direction of the game. Instead of devising more formats, which in turn results in an absurdly cluttered schedule, there needs to be rationalisation in order to produce a blueprint for the game's future. A much-needed forum on this subject should include a wide range of participants: players, administrators, media, sponsors, medical people, and the public.”

A wicket on the final ball of Day 3⃣ of the 2nd #ENGvIND Test & England are all out for 391, leading #TeamIndia by 27 runs. 4⃣ wickets for @mdsirajofficial 3⃣ wickets for @ImIshant 2⃣ wickets for @MdShami11 180* for Joe RootScorecard 👉 https://t.co/KGM2YELLde pic.twitter.com/gqXOIUqwhl

— BCCI (@BCCI) August 14, 2021

In the same column, Ian Chappell dismissed views that the quality of batting and fielding in cricket has improved in recent times. Explaining his thoughts on the same, the former Aussie skipper said:

"It's often said that players have improved. The comment needs clarification. If the reference is to batters being more powerful hitters, then it's true. Are they better equipped to navigate tough spells of bowling for a long period? In most cases, the answer is an emphatic no. It's the same when people profess that fielding has improved. There's no doubt the number of athletic catches in the outfield has increased, and they are often spectacular in their execution. Has slip catching improved? Most definitely not. The bulk of the regularly spilt chances occur because of one simple flaw in footwork, and yet it remains uncorrected.”

Countries must have functional development system to produce good Test players: Ian Chappell

Ian Chappell (right)

Ian Chappell further opined that the skills required to succeed in the traditional version of the game have to be acquired at a young age. Explaining how this can be achieved, he wrote:

“The skills required to excel at Test level need to be acquired at a young age and then honed in tough competition as the player rises through the grades. This can only be achieved if enough countries have a functional development system. If this is the case then Test cricket can remain vibrant, otherwise, it will wither on the vine. If those skills are properly honed, a player can adapt to any length of the game - Kohli being a good example.”

Day 4 is going to be crucial for both teams!🌴🇵🇰SCORES📲⬇️: https://t.co/Ag6mEEgRF5#WIvPAK #MenInMaroon pic.twitter.com/Wxzkyx3Bfv

— Windies Cricket (@windiescricket) August 15, 2021

Ian Chappell played 75 Tests for Australia from 1964 to 1980, scoring 5345 runs at an average of 42.42.