"Steve Waugh urges the ICC and India to intervene as South Africa and other teams neglect the Test format."

 "Steve Waugh urges the ICC and India to intervene as South Africa and other teams neglect the Test format."

Steve Waugh strongly criticizes the International Cricket Council (ICC) and major cricket boards, including the BCCI, for neglecting Test cricket. This comes after South Africa announced a weakened red-ball squad for the New Zealand tour, prioritizing its T20 league over Test matches. Cricket South Africa (CSA) selected a second-string Test squad, comprising seven uncapped players and a new captain, as top players are committed to the SA20 T20 league, conflicting with the tour schedule. According to CSA regulations, players contracted to SA20 franchises are ineligible for Test selection. Waugh expressed his disappointment, stating,

 

"Obviously, they don't care. It's going to happen if the South African cricket board is any indication of the future, keeping their best players at home." Waugh took to Instagram initially, raising concerns about the potential demise of Test cricket. He called on the ICC, along with the cricket boards of India, England, and Australia, to intervene and protect the purest form of the game, emphasizing the importance of history and tradition. This isn't the first instance of South Africa prioritizing its domestic T20 league over international cricket, as witnessed last year when they forfeited an ODI series in Australia for league participation. Waugh proposed that the ICC or top cricket nations establish a regulation set fee for Test matches to incentivize players, preventing the decline of Test cricket. Concerned about the trend, Waugh highlighted that Pakistan and the West Indies also did not send full-strength teams to Australia for the Test series, and he fears this pattern will persist. He emphasized the need for prompt intervention to preserve the essence of Test cricket, as the absence of top players compromises the quality of the game and disappoints the fans.