Sanjay Manjrekar backs for day-night Test cricket

Image Courtesy: Twitter/@sanjaymanjrekar

Former Test batsman Sanjay Manjrekar on Monday backed day-night Test matches saying that it will increase viewership. 

Majrekar asked why India is reluctant to go ahead with the format.

Supporting his argument he elaborated why players are chosing Test over cricket.

Speaking at the Cricket Club of India at the ninth Dilip Sardesai Memorial lecture he said players are choosing T20 leagues over Test cricket because of the money involved in the shortest formal.

"The only way to get more people to watch Test cricket, increase its viewership, popularity and thereby its quality is day-night Test matches," said Manjrekar.

"Why aren't we playing more day-night Test matches, when its a no-brainer that it will draw more viewership," Manjrekar said.

"An offer was recently rejected by India - because the players are wary of it, wary of the pink ball, the dew factor etc. "I always believed that conditions aren't unfair if it is the same for both the sides," Manjrekar said.

"Today's Test cricket is played in front of empty stands and IPL in front of frenzied crowds of 50,000 plus and millions watching on TV," the 53-year-old who played 74 ODIs said.

"It's about playing the IPL (Indian Premier League) at all cost, player injuries surface before and after the IPL. IPL offers you fame and money and who will say no to this? "Also Test cricket is just too damn hard, so it's no wonder that many are choosing T20 leagues over Test matches," elaborated Manjrekar.

He also cautioned that people "who are at the top" should not get dictated by the views of the players.

"I believe that people at the top should get their (players) views and not get dictated by those," he said.

The former Mumbai captain squarely blamed the batsmen's poor technique for the team's 4-1 loss in Tests in England.

"Interestingly, it was the batting that let India down this time (in England), the bowlers kept getting India back in the match and the batsmen kept letting those chances slip.

"It wasn't temperament that was letting these batsmen down. In South Africa and in England it was purely a technical problem, specifically defensive technique," he noted.

(With PTI Inputs)