SLC chief pushes for four-day Tests

While expressing differing views on the ICC’s decision to withdraw the proposal for two-tier Test cricket, Full Member boards welcomed the discussions opened up at Wednesday’s chief executives’ meeting on ways to sustain the longest format of the game. Thilanga Sumathipala, the SLC president, called for boards to market Test cricket more vigorously, and suggested four-day Tests as a step towards increasing the excitement around the format.

“[Withdrawing the two-tier proposal is] a very wise decision as far as SLC is concerned,” Sumathipala said. “It’s going to give us more time to revisit and to see how, while we are maintaining our top 10 Test-playing nations, we could allow emerging Test-playing nations to join, while making sure that the tournament effect is taking place. We’re going forward together in this. I’m happy with the new line of thinking, and I’m happy we are not pursuing the seven-five two-tier system.”

Explaining SLC’s opposition to the two-tier system, Sumathipala spoke of how hard Sri Lanka had fought to achieve Test status.

“Test status was a hard-earned status for us,” he said. “We were ICC champions in 1979. We’ve played more than 100 years of cricket – Test status didn’t come to any of us overnight. We gained it through sheer hard work. The game has a challenge to face, but we should look at the economic and commercial side of things.”

Sumathipala emphasised the need to engage and entertain fans, and suggested that four-day Tests were a better idea to enhance the appeal and commercial viability of the longest format.

“Our thinking is that we need more …

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