London: Amid talks over four-day Tests, Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) on Tuesday backed five days Test matches, saying it "should continue to be played over five days".
"MCC has noted the recent discussion regarding the future of test cricket and the ICC's desire to debate the introduction of four-day test cricket to replace the current five-day format in the World Test Championship from 2023," the statement from the MCC read.
"The MCC Cricket committee and MCC World Cricket committee has recently discussed the issue and although they can see some benefits that four-day Test cricket could bring, both committees believe that Test cricket should continue to be played over five days," said in a statement.
Four-day Tests could become a regular feature as part of the 2023 World Test Championship as the International Cricket Council's (ICC) cricket committee is likely to deliberate upon the change next year.
Earlier, Indian captain Virat Kohli opposed the four-day Test idea and said that he is not a fan of four-day Tests and the longest format of the game should not be tinkered much.
"I don't endorse that at all," Kohli had said in Guwahati before India's T20I series against Sri Lanka.
"D/N Test is the most that should be changed about Test cricket according to me. I am purely only talking about getting the numbers in and the entertainment. The intent otherwise won't be right. Then you'll speak of three-day Tests, where do you end? Then you will speak of Test cricket disappearing .. D/N Test is another step on commercialising Test cricket and creating excitement around it but it can't be tinkered with too much."
Former cricketers like Ricky Ponting, Shoaib Akhtar, Virender Sehwag, and Ion Botham also opposed the idea of a four-day Test.
