Sanjay Manjrekar isn’t one to conform to norms or general perception. His habit of expressing his views against popular perception has attracted enough criticism in the past.
The former Indian international has once again taken a contrary stand to the greats of the game over the International Cricket Council’s proposal to make four-day Tests mandatory from 2023 saying it is important that fans are attracted towards the longest format of the game.
“Beware of the romantics of the game who want to stick to the tradition of Test cricket and make it more and more unviable in today’s world,” he was quoted as saying by Mumbai Mirror.
India’s most decorated cricketer, Sachin Tendulkar, was first to criticise the four-day Test match proposal saying it would be unfair for spinners and subcontinent teams. The likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and many international cricketers have also questioned the need for reducing Test matches by a day.
But Manjrekar feels that popularity and promotion was more important than merely sticking to tradition. “Popularity and following of Test cricket is more important than tradition. Beatle, the car, was discontinued by Volkswagen. [It was] because of lack of demand,” said the 54-year-old who played 54 Tests for India.
The general view is that the new proposal is driven by the broadcasters who want more day available for limited over cricket. And Manjrekar does not see anything wrong in that. “Keep the core intact but cater Test cricket to fans’ preferences. Television plays an important part here. They [the stakeholders of the game] know what exactly the fans want. Romantics of the game don’t.”