Welcoming the introduction of the World Test Championship (WTC), Brian Lara, the legendary batsman, has stressed the WTC should have started much earlier.
“Yes I think (it should have started earlier). For someone, who has played for 16-17 years, who has played over 100 Tests, you felt that it became monotonous, you just keep travelling and cracking up the numbers, you win or lose a series, it mattered,” said Lara, who at the time of his retirement in 2006 was the highest run-getter in Test cricket.
“In terms of Test Championship, where there is an end, it culminates into a team becoming champion, that is something that should have happened a long time ago and happy to see it now. Even if you play against minnows — Afghanistan, Bangladesh — it means something and I feel it will create more excitement with spectators knowing that this is not another series and leads to something. Credit must be given to ICC for introducing this. Was important, a little late.”
Lara was speaking at the launch of Road Safety World Series — a veterans’ T20 league that will feature five international teams in Mumbai and Pune next February. Lara will lead the Caribbean team. After a prolonged delay, the first cycle of the WTC finally got underway. Although the format is convoluted along with the points system, the introduction of a competition to adjudge the World Test champion has been welcomed by virtually every stakeholder.
Sri Lanka’s Tillakaratne Dilshan stressed on the need to stick to the traditional format of Test cricket. “I don’t think you should play day-night Tests. Test cricket should be played only in daylight and in full whites, without numbers on the back. That’s a personal view. We should keep it simple. It’s the main format. I feel Test cricket should be played in the traditional way, just like the gentleman’s game,” Dilshan said.
Thumbs up for Ganguly
Sachin Tendulkar, who will double up as the RSWS and the India veterans’ captain, expressed confidence that Sourav Ganguly, the BCCI president-elect, will work in his new avatar as passionately as his playing days.
“The way he (Sourav) has played his cricket, the way he has gone out and served the nation, I have no doubt that he will serve the nation in same capacity and in the same manner, with same passion and same focus. That is what I know of him,” Tendulkar said.
