Test cricket needs to be more engaging, ODI is becoming monotonous too: Sachin Tendulkar
New Delhi (PTI): Sachin Tendulkar feels in order to keep the primacy and attractiveness of Test cricket intact, one shouldn't look at in how many days the match ends, but instead the focus should be on garnering more eyeballs.
The legendary cricketer is also finding current ODI cricket, a bit of a drag and wouldn't mind a change in format.
Three of the Border-Gavaskar Tests between India and Australia recently ended inside two-and-a-half days, leading to a massive criticism of pitches, but Tendulkar said it is part and parcel of cricketer's job to play on different surfaces.
"We need to understand one thing that Test cricket should be engaging and it should not be about how many days it lasts, five days or whatever. We (cricketers) are meant to play on different surfaces; be it a bouncy track, a fast track, slow track, turning track, swinging conditions, seaming conditions with different balls," opined Tendulkar on Sports Tak.
He also said that at a time when the ICC, MCC and other cricketing bodies are talking about making Test cricket entertaining and the the No.1 format, there was no harm in matches ending in three days. Besides, touring teams should no think that they will get featherbeds and they should make thorough preparations.
"When you tour, there are not easy conditions. You need to understand what's happening, assess everything and then start planning things. For me, the most important factor is the kind of surface that we play on because that is the heart of Test cricket.
"All the guys, including the ICC, MCC, etc, we are talking about Test cricket. How Test cricket can continue to be the No.1 format. So, if we want that, then we need to have something for the bowlers because bowlers ask a question (off) every ball and the batter has to answer that. So, if that question itself is not interesting enough, how are you going to have more eyeballs.
He indicated sports should be result-oriented and everyone should go home knowing "who won, who lost".
"We should not be bothered too much about number of days. I feel it should be whether the match was exciting enough or not. Nobody wants to go back home not knowing who has won and who has lost," added Tendulkar.
He also said there was no harm in giving the new ball to a spinner if the surface so demanded.
"Instead of a fast bowler bowling an opening spell, why cannot a spinner be bowling a wonderful spell. It's just a different kind of surface we are playing on and that should also be challenging enough for batters to go out there and express themselves ... if somebody has batted well, he gets runs, simple."
ODI CRICKET GETTING MONOTONOUS
With former India coach Ravi Shastri wanting ODI cricket to change with the times and be made a 40-over-a-side affair, Tendulkar agreed that the format was getting monotonous and suggested a way to make it entertaining.
"It's getting monotonous, without a doubt. There are two parts to it. One is the current format and the next which I feel that should be played.
"The current format, which has been there for a while now is two new balls (per innings). When you have two new balls, you have kind of eliminated reverse swing. Even though, we are in the 40th over of the game, it's just the 20th over of that ball. And the ball only starts reversing around the 30th over. That element is missing today because of two new balls. The current format, I feel, is heavy on bowlers."
Right now, the game is becoming too predictable. From the 15th to the 40th over its losing its momentum. It's getting boring.
He opined, that while there was no harm in retaining the 50-over format, teams should alternate between batting and bowling after every 25 overs, as that will give the opponents level-playing ground and take toss, dew factor and other conditions out of the equation.
"So, both teams bowl in the first and the second half. Commercially too it more viable as there will be three innings breaks instead of two."
SHOULD SALIVA BE ALLOWED AGAIN?
Tendulkar advocated that with the Covid-19 pandemic history now, the ICC should reverse its rule on disallowing the use of saliva to shine the ball.
"I am no medical expert but I think it should (saliva) be back because its happened over 100 years. Guys have used saliva and nothing drastic has happened. A couple of years in between were challenging and rightly so that decision (to ban use of saliva to polish the ball) was taken, but now it's (Covid-19) behind us," opned Tendulkar.
Asked if he sees himself becoming a BCCI administrator in the future, Tendulkar said, Maine itni zyada fast bowling nahin ki hai (I have never bowled so fast ever)... because (ex-BCCI president) Sourav (Ganguly) still considered himself a fast bowler," said Tendulkar in jest.
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BCB official calling Tamim 'an Indian agent' invites wrath of Bangladesh players
Dhaka (PTI): A senior Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) official calling former captain Tamim Iqbal "an Indian agent" has not gone down well with the players in the country.
Tamim, one of the finest openers to have come out of Bangladesh, had advised the BCB to not be driven by emotion while deciding the way forward on the national team's participation in the T20 World Cup in India.
Nazmul, chairman of BCB finance committee, called the left-hander opener "an Indian agent" in a Facebook post.
"This time, the people of Bangladesh witnessed, with their own eyes, the emergence of yet another proven Indian agent," he wrote.
The post received immediate backlash from former and current cricketers, including Taskin Ahmed, Momimul Haque and Taijul Islam.
Even the Cricketers' Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB) expressed shock at Nazmul's comments.
"A comment made by BCB director M Nazmul Islam regarding former national captain Tamim Iqbal has come to the attention of the Cricketers' Welfare Association of Bangladesh. We are stunned, shocked, and outraged by it.
"Such a remark by a board official about the most successful opener in Bangladesh's history, who represented the country for 16 years, is utterly condemnable.
"Not only because it concerns a player like Tamim, but such comments about any cricketer of the country are unacceptable and insulting to the entire cricketing community," the players' body said in a statement.
The 36-year-old Tamim played 70 Tests, 243 ODIs and 78 T20 Internationals for his country in a fairly accomplished career.
"We strongly protest against this comment. When a responsible board director makes such remarks on a public platform, it also raises serious questions about the code of conduct of board officials," it said.
"We have already submitted a protest letter to the BCB president, demanding a public apology from the concerned board director and that he be brought under accountability. We hope the BCB president will take appropriate action as soon as possible," CWAB added.
Bangladesh wrote to the International Cricket Council to move their T20 World Cup games out of India after the BCCI instructed IPL franchise KKR to release Mustafizur Rahman ahead of the 2026 edition without giving a specific reason.
"Cricket is the life of Bangladesh. A recent comment surrounding a former national captain who has made a major contribution to the game has caused many to reflect," said pacer Taskin.
"I believe that such remarks directed at a former cricketer of the country are not helpful in the interest of Bangladesh cricket. I hope the concerned authorities will consider the matter seriously and adopt a more responsible stance in the future," he said.
Mominul added: "The comment made by BCB director M Nazmul Islam regarding former national captain Tamim Iqbal is completely unacceptable and insulting to the country's cricketing community. Such behaviour towards a cricketer is in direct conflict with the board's responsibility and ethics," said Mominul.
"A senior cricketer was not given even the minimum respect; instead, he was deliberately humiliated in public. Such remarks show a lack of even basic decorum regarding where and how to speak while holding such a high responsibility.
"I strongly condemn this comment and firmly demand a public apology from the concerned director and that he be brought under accountability. I call upon the BCB to take swift and strict action," said Mominul.
