ISLAMABAD, Aug 07 (APP):Former Captain Ramiz Raja has underlined the need for consolidated efforts to keep Test cricket alive.
“Test cricket will remain on ventilator unless the players realize that how much is it important to play the traditional format of cricket for their country and what sort of respect they may earn for themselves by playing it,” he said in a message on his YouTube channel ‘Ramiz Speaks’.
The cricketer-convert-commentator said that the promising players should be told that Test cricket would give them respect.
“Test cricket needs big names, it needs sponsorships and passionate cricketers. The players, captains and cricket boards will have to think as how to engage young players in Test cricket. If all will work together in that direction, only then Test cricket will survive.
“If this format dies it will also affect other formats (ODIs and T20s). Players learn a lot from this format because when they are educated here they take the experience to other formats and earn name for themselves.”
Ramiz feared that fast bowler Wahab Riaz while following the footsteps of Mohammad Amir might also announce retirement from Test cricket.
“If fast bowlers kept on leaving Test cricket one after the other just because their bodies can’t lift the workload. And if they will not be ready to do hard work, then it will be injustice with this format.”
He appreciated South African fast bowler Dale Steyn for playing a very positive role to advertise Test cricket. “His Test cricket career has been outstanding. He picked up over 400 wickets just at 22 runs’ average. He was a phenomenon, who had been swinging ball even above 90 mile per hour pace. New Zealand’s Shan Bond was the other fast bowler, who had been doing that at such a pace. Both Steyn and Bond were a rare breed.”
Steyn, one of the greatest fast bowlers in history, on Monday called time on his Test career with immediate effect.
