Kevin Pietersen Says Test Cricket Remains Supreme Form Of The Game

Former England captain Kevin Pietersen on Tuesday said that five-day Test cricket still remains the supreme form of the game despite the rise of the shortest format of the game -- Twenty20. With the longest form of the game witnessing a drop in viewership, Pietersen, speaking at the 6th MAK Pataudi Memorial Lecture, suggested some ideas to reinvent Test cricket and make it a 'spectacle'. The 37-year-old also became the first non-Indian cricketer to deliver the lecture. "Having played every form of cricket in every corner of the cricketing globe, I remain 100 percent convinced that the five-day Test remains the supreme form of the game," Pietersen said.

Former England Captain @KP24 looks all dapper as he arrives to deliver the 6th MAK Pataudi Lecture.#NAMAN pic.twitter.com/aXMlU3supK

— BCCI (@BCCI) June 12, 2018

"Let's make Test cricket a spectacle. Garnish it with colour and fireworks. Fill the grounds. Play in the evenings. Give the umpires microphones to broadcast to the spectators," Pietersen opined.

"Allow sledging -- as long as it remains the right side of the line. Communicate better with the fans," he remarked.

Meanwhile, appreciating the shortest format of the game Pietersen said, "20-20 provides the thrill, the noise, the speed and no little genius. It has taken fielding to a new level and has redefined batting."

However, he also backed handsome pay for cricketers featuring in the five-day games, which would give them financial security.

"Ensure that they (cricketers) are paid as well over five days as they are over five hours of 20-20 cricket. You can't blame a player for seeking financial security through his or her sporting talent," Pietersen, who featured in 104 Tests for England, said.

(with IANS inputs)

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