Former England captain Michael Vaughan has called for Test cricket to be shortened to four days, citing the faster pace of modern games and the need to attract a broader audience. Vaughan believes the adjustment would align with the evolving nature of the format, where results are often achieved within three or four days.
Speaking to SEN Afternoons, Vaughan proposed a fixed Thursday-to-Sunday schedule for Test matches. “It’d start on a Thursday and finish on a Sunday,” he said. “It would be easy for everyone to understand that Test cricket starts every Thursday and finishes on a Sunday… if it makes it to Sunday.”
Vaughan highlighted the transformation in playing styles over the years, which he argues has rendered the fifth day unnecessary.
“Let’s be honest, the way that the players go out and play their business now, they don’t play like I used to play or some of the teams back in the 80s and 90s played,” Vaughan said. “They’re playing a brand of cricket which is pretty much to try and win as quick as they possibly can and put the opposition under pressure.”
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Recent matches have reflected this shift. The ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy between Australia and India has already seen rapid conclusions, with the first Test ending on Day 4 and the second in just three days. Vaughan suggested that the quicker results fit naturally with a four-day format, making the game more viewer-friendly and easier to schedule.
“We’ve got players that are incredibly entertaining now. Four-day cricket would be easier to schedule,” Vaughan stated. “The administrators around the world need to seriously consider if it’s time to go from five days to four.”