To promote Test cricket, ICC introduced the World Test Championship (WTC) which started in 2019 with Ashes. Now, ICC is considering to take one more step forward to shorten the length of a Test match. ICC has proposed to restart the four-day Test matches from 2023 with the start of the new cycle of WTC. But the Australian spinner Nathan Lyon is strictly against this new idea of ICC.
ICC’s new proposal has increased the debates in the cricket world. Players like Nathan Lyon and Tim Paine are against while former cricketers Michael Vaughan and Mark Taylor have supported the idea.
Four-day Tests will have 98 overs in a day, unlike five-day Tests which see 90 overs bowled in a day. According to facts, more than 60 per cent of Test matches since 2018 finishing inside four days. So, ICC is supporting the fact to start the four-day Test match.
Nathan Lyon’s stand on four-day Test match
The Australian spinner Nathan Lyon said that the competitive Test matches go down to the fifth day. He has clearly stated that he is against this proposal idea of ICC.
“You look at all the big games around the world and some of the best Test matches I’ve been a part of, they go down to the last day,” Nathan Lyon told Unplayable Podcast, as quoted by cricket.com.au.
“I’m not a fan of four-day Test matches. I believe you’ll get so many more draws and day five is crucial,”
He also gave the reason behind to oppose the idea. Being a spinner, he explained the fact that the pitches help the spinners more on the fifth day. So, he is totally against ICC.
“One, there’s the weather element. But (also) the wickets these days are probably a lot flatter than they have been in the past, so it allows teams to bat longer and to put pressure on sides and you need that time for the pitch to deteriorate and bring spinners in more on day five as well.
“I’m totally against it and I hope ICC isn’t even considering it.”
Meanwhile, Cricket Australia (CA) CEO Kevin Roberts said it needs to be looked at with facts and not emotions. Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President Sourav Ganguly has recently said that it’s too early to make any comment on the new proposal.