The owner of an Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise has predicted that Test cricket may soon become once-a-year events like the Wimbledon tournament.
Lead owner of Rajasthan Royals, Manoj Badale, told the BBC’s Tailenders Podcast that the amount of Test cricket scheduled will be reduced in the future, as fans worldwide are increasingly shifting to Twenty20.
According to him, the future of Test cricket could be a short annual tournament.
“We can make Test cricket work if we make it more of an event. We should have it at the same time every year, played between a small set of nations that can actually afford it and Lord’s becomes like a Wimbledon, an event that is the diary,” Badale was quoted as saying during the podcast.
Badale cautioned that the dedication of top players to Test cricket is not as significant as the market preferences in different parts of the world.
T20 leagues were introduced this year in the United Arab Emirates and South Africa. The Major League Cricket will commence in the US in July, and there are rumors of a new tournament emerging in Saudi Arabia.
The competitive market among various leagues is also contributing to the modifications presently being proposed for the Hundred.
Badale appreciated Ben Stokes for his commitment towards Test cricket. But he added that fans’ preference and where they would spend their hard-earned money in the future also matter.
“It is difficult one for me because Test cricket is what you grow up on as a fan and I haven’t missed the first day at Lord’s for however many years, it is still my preferred format. But it is not about me, it is about what the 10-15-year-olds in India and across the world are thinking,” he further said.
In his opinion, the number of choices the administrators will make in the next three to five years would be really game-defining.
“We’ve got too many franchise leagues now so you can have a hierarchy of the IPL, some major leagues and then some minor leagues,” he added.
