BCCI backs Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri's stand on not having four-day Tests
What's the story?
The Board of Control for Cricket in India has not shown any interest in going ahead with ICC's idea of four-day Test matches. Indian captain Virat Kohli and head coach Ravi Shastri had spoken against the same proposal a few days ago and now, a senior BCCI official has echoed their statements.
The background
ICC had pitched the idea of replacing the traditional five-day Test matches with four-day games. However, this concept did not receive a positive response from a majority of the fans and the players.
Kohli had rejected the new proposal on the eve of the opening T20I between India and Sri Lanka in Guwahati as he made it clear that day-night Test cricket was fine but the format should not be altered too much. Besides, Shastri had referred to the four-day Tests as 'nonsense'.
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The heart of the matter
Talking to IANS on Friday (10th January), a senior BCCI official pointed out that the board will discuss the idea of four-day Test with the other top boards however, they had the same belief as Kohli and Shastri. The official said:
"See, it is only right that you discuss these matters and we will do the same with CA, ECB and Cricket South Africa. But as things stand now, we are on the same platform as our skipper and coach and don't see much sense in cutting Test cricket to four days from the conventional five. In fact, it is not just our captain or coach, you have also heard the likes of Joe Root (English captain) and Faf du Plessis (South Africa skipper) make their opinions clear on the matter. It might be an option for the lower ranked teams, but not when two big teams clash. Tradition can't be toyed with."
What's next?
The BCCI officials will meet the members of CA, ECB and CSA around the BCCI awards on 12th January. Thus, it will be intriguing to see their conclusion about this proposal.