Clive Lloyd, the ex-West Indies captain, believes there’s an excess of T20 cricket, emphasizing the need to prioritize Test cricket more. He advocates for a minimum of three matches in a Test series. Concerns have been voiced by various cricket personalities regarding the future of Test cricket due to the surge in T20’s popularity and the proliferation of franchise leagues worldwide.
“At the moment probably they’re having too many T20s and stuff. I’d like to see a little bit more Test cricket. And if you’re playing Test cricket, I’d prefer three Test matches or five,” the West Indies legend made this statement at the Ekam Awards night in Kolkata on Thursday, January 11, as reported by PTI.
The captain who led West Indies to ODI World Cup victories in 1975 and 1979 expressed his view that it seems illogical for teams to journey to another nation for just two Test matches.
“I don’t think the West Indies should travel to Australia, 12,000 miles, for two Test matches. And it doesn’t make sense. Like the other day, it’s one-all (in India vs South Africa series). Now the other Test would have shown who was the better of the two teams,” Lloyd commented.
“I’ve said time and again that T20 is an exhibition, and Test cricket is an examination. Our youngsters seem to be getting this habit of trying to hit the ball out of the ground so that they can get a contract somewhere else. And I don’t like that,” the 79-year-old added.
Lloyd acknowledged the excitement in T20 cricket but emphasized that Test cricket should not be compromised due to its popularity.
“I don’t think anything was wrong with the pitch” – Clive Lloyd on Cape Town surface
The Newlands pitch used for the India-South Africa Test faced scrutiny as the match concluded in 642 balls, making it the shortest Test match in history.
The ICC labelled the pitch as “unsatisfactory.” Despite this, Lloyd saw nothing problematic with the wicket, highlighting that a batsman, Aiden Markram, managed to score a hundred on it.
“I don’t think anything was wrong with the pitch. Somebody made a hundred on that same pitch, on a wearing pitch, so I think it’s just application. And I’m wondering if that had happened in India, with what they would have done to the ground persons,” he said.
“You know, because if you lose in a day and a bit, the first thing they’ll look at is the pitch. India had a turning pitch here the other day, and everybody said some terrible things about the pitch. If you’re playing top-class cricket, you should be able to handle those sorts of things,” Lloyd added.
On the first day of the Test, South Africa was dismissed for 55, and India went on to secure a victory by seven wickets.
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