DHAKA • Test cricket is "dying", the chairman of the sport's governing body warned on Thursday, adding the new nine-team world championship could help save the longest format of the game.
While Tests in Australia and England still draw sizeable crowds, filling stadiums and boosting interest in the five-day game has been a challenge for years.
"We are trying to see whether (the) Test championship can generate interest, because Test cricket is actually dying, to be honest," International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman Shashank Manohar told reporters in Dhaka.
"So to improve the situation, we are trying ways and means. The board came to a conclusion that if we start a Test championship, it would keep Test cricket alive and generate more interest."
The Ashes series between rivals England and Australia will kick off the World Test Championship in July, and the two best sides in the table will face off in the final in 2021.
Manohar, who is in the country to watch the final of the Bangladesh Premier League Twenty20 tournament, felt the shortest version of the game now provides maximum ratings for broadcasters.
"Nowadays, people don't have five days... to watch a Test match. From 10 to 5, everybody has their own job to do, so it is very difficult for them to watch (Tests)," he said.
"T20s are over in 31/2 hours, like watching a movie. Therefore, it is picking up very fast."
Manohar, a former president of the Indian cricket board, said the sport still faces challenges in its bid to become more global.
ICC officials in the past have expressed their willingness to submit an application for cricket to be included in the Paris 2024 Olympics.
But Manohar admitted to logistical obstacles, such as suitable venues, before conceding there was still some way to go before cricket can feature on the biggest stage.
He added: "There are certain countries which are still not convinced whether to participate..."
The only time cricket was played at the Olympics was in 1900, with just two teams - Britain and France.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
