“Test cricket is an endangered species, pace of play is abysmal” - Ian Chappell

Australian cricket legend Ian Chappell has raised concerns over the future of Test cricket in the wake of the growing popularity of T20 cricket. He urged administrators and cricketers to work together for the survival of Test cricket.

There has been a huge debate among cricket experts and former players in the last few years over the relevance of Test cricket in modern times with T20 cricket being preferred across the globe by fans, administrators, and several players as well.

Writing in his column for ESPNcricinfo, Chappell termed the pace of play in Test cricket as abysmal.

“It's no secret that Test cricket is an endangered species. Administrators are enamored of T20's popularity and its huge financial rewards; there has been a world-wide explosion of T20 leagues and now players are signing long-term contracts with major T20 franchises. These are all contributing factors,” he wrote.

“The pace of play in Test cricket is abysmal. It's slowing every day and nothing is being done to improve matters. On the one hand Ben Stokes genuinely strives to improve the entertainment quotient of Test cricket but he's being undermined by the administrators' lack of initiative,” Chappell added.

The former Australian captain also questioned "why batters are allowed to meet mid-pitch during overs to discuss without penalty" and drinks being allowed outside of regular breaks.

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“Overtime is one of the more boring aspects of cricket” - Ian Chappell

Recently, the International Cricket Council (ICC) decided to introduce a game-time clock on a trial basis to ensure that white-ball cricket moves at a better speed. Chappell, however, believes that games should flow naturally and urged administrators to ensure the same.

“When was the last time the stipulated minimum number of overs were completed in the regular time allocated for a Test day's play? Six hours of cricket is ample - for players, the fans, the viewers and administrators. Everything should be done to avoid the game enduring overtime. Overtime is one of the more boring aspects of cricket,” the 80-year-old opined.

“Cricket needs to operate as a partnership between players and administrators. It's about time that relationship was formalized and the game was allowed to grow accordingly,” Chappell added.

Concluding his thoughts, the Aussie legend stated that there is nothing wrong with administrators displaying decision-making strength that is backed by cricketing common sense.