Hitting out at the International Cricket Council (ICC) for not paying enough attention to the longer format of the game, England Test captain Ben Stokes said the growing popularity of domestic T20 leagues around the world is threatening the existence of the longest format of the game. putting in Stokes, who recently played a key role in the team’s 3-0 win on the Pakistan tour, said, “The program is not given as much attention as it should be.” England’s ODI series against Australia after the T20 World Cup is an example of this.How sensible was it to organize a three-match series when the series was of no importance.
Stokes said, “I do not like the kind of talk that is being done about Test cricket in the present era. Cricket fans are preferring new format and franchise based competition instead of Test. We all understand that it (limited overs format) gives players a lot of opportunities but I think Test cricket is very important to the game. Should England follow in their footsteps, Stokes said ‘entertainment’ is needed more than ‘results’ to popularize the five-day format.
The veteran all-rounder said, “A good start can be made without thinking about the result. The focus should be on making each day enjoyable. You shouldn’t give people much chance to guess. If people get excited about what they’re going to see, that’s where you can win big. Stokes advised the ICC to do something different to popularize Test cricket. Stokes said, “I love playing Test cricket and I believe that we can do something different in this matter.” After taking over the captaincy from Joe Root, Stokes has led England to nine wins in 10 matches.
