Former England captain Michael Vaughan proposed reducing Test cricket to four days, arguing that the change would align with the pace of the modern game and public expectations.
Speaking on an international sports podcast, the former cricketer suggested a consistent Thursday to Sunday schedule for Test matches.
He believes the adjustment would make the sport more spectator-friendly and improve scheduling efficiency.
“It would start on a Thursday and end on a Sunday,” explained Vaughan. “It would be easy for everyone to understand…if it arrives by Sunday.”
He also highlighted that the evolution of the playing style reduced the need for a fifth day.
“Let’s be honest, the way players go out and go about their business now, they don’t play like I do or some teams from the 80s and 90s did,” he said.
“They are playing a type of cricket that is basically trying to win as quickly as possible and putting the opponent under pressure,” he added.
The recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy matches between India and Australia reflect this trend, with the first Test being concluded on Day 4 and the second on Day 3.
The 50-year-old argued that such results are becoming increasingly common and naturally align with a four-day format.
“We have incredibly fun players now. Four-day cricket would simplify the schedule and appeal to a wider audience,” Vaughan emphasised. “Managers around the world need to seriously consider whether it is time to move from five to four days.”
For the unversed, out of the last 50 Test matches, only three have ended in a draw. These drawn Test matches were significantly affected by rain.
Sohail Imran is a senior reporter at Geo News.
