Nasser Hussain Urges For Balance In Test Cricket Amid Dominance Of Top Three Nations England, India And Australia
Published - 01 Aug 2023, 07:02 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:16 AM
Former England captain Nasser Hussain expressed concerns about the declining importance of Test cricket at the moment all around the world. Nasser Hussain urged the top three teams, England, Australia, and India, to take action to revive and promote the format among other full-member teams.
The Ashes 2023 series between England and Australia produced a thrilling contest between bat and ball throughout the series, which ended in a 2-2 draw. In contrast, other Test series, such as India vs West Indies, and Pakistan vs Sri Lanka, lacked excitement and failed to attract the spectators.
It Is Not Just About The Top Three – Nasser Hussain
Speaking to Sky Sports, Nasser Hussain highlighted that cricket will become boring if England, Australia, and India play against each other regularly.
“The top three… two of the top three England, India and Australia, they have been successful. They will continue to be successful. So those three are trying to push you on but they have also got to keep an eye on the rest. It is not just about the top three,” Nasser Hussain told Sky Sports.
“It’s all well and good me saying on commentary ‘My big moment in Headingley. The Ashes is alive. Test cricket is alive’. Have a look at other parts of the world, it’s not so alive. Yes we are proud of what we have achieved and Australia and India have achieved but it will be dull if we just see India, Australia and England month in and month out, year in and year out,” he added.
England, India, and Australia will play longer series with four or more Tests, while other teams often play shorter series with only two or three Tests.
Also read: Ben Stokes Reveals His Wife’s Reaction To Stuart Broad’s Retirement From International Cricket
Pick The Appropriate Players – Ricky Ponting
Legendary Australia captain Ricky Ponting urged the teams to pick the right players to make Test cricket more thrilling with their aggressive approach.
“I think the bottom line is every board every association every team to aspire, to achieve the level of cricket that has been played here.
The last thing you wanna see is boring drawn out games of Test match cricket and I think if this can prove anything to the rest of the world as far as Test cricket is concerned, you can play four one-day games in a row and still win Test matches,” Ponting said.
“I think every team, every captain, every coach can learn something from this, take that approach and pick the appropriate players to make the Test cricket more exciting,” he added.
Australia dominated in the first two games of the series, registering back-to-back victories. The Ben Stokes-led team bounced back to keep the series alive, winning the third game. The fourth game ended in a draw, and the hosts won the final game.
Also read: AUS vs ENG: Nasser Hussain Explains What David Warner Needs To Do To Play His Last Test In Sydney
