Get cheerleaders in Tests if you have to: Kapil Dev

Bangalore:  Kapil Dev said he wasn't in favour of day-night Test cricket if it meant coloured clothing. Kapil, under whom India won the World Cup for the first time back in 1983, was speaking at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, and he was averse to the idea of Test cricket being played in anything other than whites.

"Playing cricket in white clothes has its own essence. Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but I don't think playing day-night Test matches is a solution if players will wear coloured clothes," said Kapil.

Kapil was, however, open to the idea of allowing a wider scope for entertaining the audience during a Test, even if it meant allowing songs, dances and cheerleader routines to bring in more people. He stressed on the need to promote Test cricket.

"If promotion means allowing a singer to perform during breaks in Test match or bringing in cheerleaders, so be it," said Kapil. "Test cricket is the ultimate test of a cricketer and the game of cricket. The board should find a way to promote it."

He added that it was natural for Twenty20 cricket to draw in more spectators and players with its marketing and glitzy presence on television "If marketing is only done for T20 cricket and TV channels only show T20 games, more and more players will choose an easy option of playing it," added Kapil.