Ponting backs Test spectacle

Australia skipper Ricky Ponting has come out in defence of Test cricket amidst all the hullabaloo surrounding the Twenty20 format.

The shortest version of the game ever invented is set to bring hitherto unforeseen sums of money to the sport but Ponting insists the five-day format retains its excitement - particularly when pitch conditions allow.

He believes groundsmen around the world play a big part in the quality of a Test match, and should be encouraged to provide conditions that suit both batsmen and bowlers.

"I just think Test cricket is probably not as exciting anymore because of the pitches that we're playing on," he said.

"The game right now is pretty exciting. The way Test cricket is being played, there are more results, and 300 or 350 runs in a day is not impossible anymore, so it's actually a better spectacle to watch.

"People would rather watch a game in Perth than they would in Antigua. There's much more happening.

"There are more bouncers, more batsmen ducking and weaving and sometimes falling on their backsides, more catches behind the wicket, more hook shots.

"That's the sort of Test cricket that we all grew up watching and enjoying."

Ponting emphasised that some of the pitches which his side have encountered in recent years around the world are "too flat, too placid".

"Batsmen would prefer a lot of the time to have a little bit more pace and bounce anyway because it's much easier for you as a batsman to play your strokes," he added.

"That's what I would be saying to all the authorities around the world: Let's just try and do something with the pitches. If it means digging them up and relaying them, then let's try it. It's obviously not working too well at the moment."

Source:- Sky Sports