'We would like to see five-day Tests continue' - MCC
Guy Lavender, the MCC chief executive, has said retaining five-day Tests makes sense "from a cricketing perspective" even if there are other reasons to consider four-day Tests
ESPNcricinfo staff
04-Oct-2017
The MCC have suggested the tradition of two Lord's Tests will continue even if the home season is reduced to six Tests • IDI/Getty Images
The MCC, the custodian of the game's laws, has joined the debate over the duration of Test matches, saying it will continue to back five-day Test cricket. Guy Lavender, the MCC chief executive, has said retaining five-day Tests makes sense "from a cricketing perspective" even if there are other reasons to consider four-day Tests.
"The MCC's view is that five-day Tests from a cricketing perspective make sense," Lavender told The Telegraph. "There is another perspective around four-day Tests from a customer experience perspective and looking at the difficulties of fitting in the tours programme and a congested international fixture list with emergence of domestic Twenty20 tournaments.
"The net impact is if you reduce from five to four the jigsaw becomes much easier to fit together. It is a debate that is going to run but from our perspective five-days Tests is what we would like to see continue."
Cricket South Africa will host Zimbabwe for a four-day, day-night game in Port Elizabeth, which starts on Boxing Day. The match is yet to receive Test status from the ICC. Some of South Africa's players, including captain Faf du Plessis and Dean Elgar, have said they prefer to keep Test cricket the way it is.
The ECB is set to reduce England's home season to six Tests from seven in 2020, but despite this Lavender wants the tradition of two Lord's Tests every summer to continue.
"Our objectives are straightforward. We are very convinced we can create a compelling case for having two Test matches, an ODI, and new T20 teams for both men and women here at Lord's. That is not because we are the home of cricket but it is because we can deliver a number of things better than any other ground in the country.
"We have the ability to attract audiences from any nation, for any part of the season. We have delivered the best customer experience for people coming to matches consistently for the past four years. It is where visiting teams want to play and we generate significant revenues that come back into the game. Regardless of the broadcast deal, the ability to finance the game is vital."