MCC bats for Test cricket to remain five-day despite "some benefits" in four-day games

Custodians of cricket laws, MCC, on Tuesday said Tests should continue to be a five-day affair though it sees "some benefits" of ICC's proposal to trim longest format to four days.   "Cricket committee and MCC World Cricket committee have recently discussed issue and although y can see some benefits that four-day Test cricket could bring, both committees believe that Test cricket should continue to be played over five days," said MCC in a statement.  International Cricket Council is all set to discuss four-day Test proposal during its cricket committee meeting in March. 

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However, feedback so far has been largely critical with top current and former players such as Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar, Ravi Shastri, Ian Botham and Virender Shewag ridiculing plan.

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Sehwag Compares 5-day Tests With Baby Diapers

Former India cricketer Virender Sehwag delivered  7th Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi Lecture at BCCI Awards on Sunday evening in Mumbai. 'Nawab of Najafgarh' dismissed idea of 4-day Tests and seconded idea of five-day Tests remaining as y are. Sehwag joined likes of current Indian captain Virat Kohli and head coach Ravi Shastri in supporting  conventional format over ICC’s proposal to reduce it to four days in a bid to make format more attractive and lucrative. Virender Sehwag said that while he has always been supportive of change, five-day Tests for him continue to be a 'romance' and shouldn't be altered with. former opener admitted that T-20 game appealed to him as he captained India in ir first ever T-20I in 2006 in South Africa and was part of India’s World T-20 winning team in 2007. Yet, in his trademark witty style,  former Indian cricketer claimed that invations like names on jerseys and pink ball Tests were fine but overall, five-day Tests were like a 'diaper' which should only be changed when it's finished and cant be used anymore.

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