No move to bring in four-day Tests - Lorgat

Haroon Lorgat, the ICC chief executive, has said there is no move to reduce Tests from five days to four days. The idea of reducing the longest format had earlier been floated by ICC President David Morgan to make Tests more attractive to the spectators. Morgan had said the move would also protect and enrich Test cricket in the face of lucrative Twenty20 leagues like the IPL. "Morgan must have been putting a thought on the table," Lorgat said.

Speaking at a ceremony in Mumbai, where the nominations for the 2009 ICC awards were unveiled, Lorgat also lent his support to the 50-over game and said the format would continue at the international level even though the ECB had recently reduced matches to 40 overs per side in its domestic set-up. "ECB has done it as it suits their domestic schedule," Lorgat said. "But at the international level the 50-over format will continue. But we are open to changes if it works for the betterment of the game." Lorgat pointed out that the format of the Champions Trophy, in South Africa later this month, had been revamped to make it more exciting.

Indian batsman Virender Sehwag, who was also present on the occassion, said he preferred to play Tests and ODIs more than Twenty20 matches. "Personally I would like to play more Tests and ODIs than T20 games which I know have become extremely popular," Sehwag said. "I would like to play at least eight to ten Tests in a year.

"The Twenty20 game is big and in future and the message I would like to give to the ICC is to introduce a World Championship of Tests. Every cricketer would like to play Tests against every other country and perform well. Test cricket is the true test [of a cricketer's calibre]."