December 01, 2007	Saturday	Ziqa’ad 20, 1428

LONDON, Nov 30: Former England Test great Geoff Boycott has advised the game’s administrators to dwell on overhauling Test cricket to make it more attractive to the contemporary followers.

Boycott said crowds at latest Tests in Australia, India and South Africa had shown that in majority of countries the public no longer bought into the traditional five-day format.

“I think the national boards of all the countries should take responsibility,” Boycott said.

“The pace of life has changed. [Years ago] an India-Pakistan Test would be sold out twice over and you wouldn’t be able to get a seat. But people today have jobs and they don’t want a Test to go on for five days.

“I would recommend four-day Tests. I would try to increase the over-rate, because people want to pack more into life, and I would play day-night Tests. Kerry Packer tried it in 1977-78 and 78-79.

He had a few Tests that were played at night and they got good crowds. I think it is time the administrators did something about this.

“India is one of the places to try it because their board is forward-looking,” he said.—Agencies