'Warning on the demise of Test Cricket': Steve Waugh urges ICC and BCCI to address the issue
Former Australian captain Steve Waugh raises alarm over the future of Test cricket, criticising the ICC and major cricket boards, including the BCCI, for neglecting the traditional format.
FollowFormer Australian captain Steve Waugh has expressed apprehensions about the future of Test cricket following South Africa's decision to field a second-string squad for the upcoming Test tour of New Zealand. Waugh criticized the International Cricket Council (ICC) and major cricket boards, including the BCCI, for neglecting Test cricket's importance.
Waugh, the captain of the 1999 World Cup-winning team, called for an equal match fee for all Test players as a crucial measure to safeguard the purest form of the game. In an Instagram post, he emphasized that ICC, along with the cricket boards of India, England, and Australia, must intervene to preserve the legacy of cricket legends like Bradman, Grace, and Sobers.
The Proteas' decision to prioritise the SA20 T20 league over the Test series, resulting in an understrength squad, prompted Waugh to question whether this signifies a critical moment in the decline of Test cricket. Despite facing challenges, South Africa's Test coach Shukri Conrad expressed confidence in the team's competitiveness against New Zealand, highlighting the players' prior performances in recent series. The tour clash arises due to CSA's ruling that players contracted to SA20 franchises are ineligible for Test selection.
