Have suggested there should be a dedicated fund for Test cricket: Jay Shah

BCCI secretary Jay Shah has been one of the leading voices in protecting Test cricket. Under his leadership, the apex council made a stunning decision to axe Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kisan from central contracts after the duo failed to report in the Ranji Trophy last year. He has also played a pivotal role in the increase of women’s Test matches and announced the historic decision of equal pay for all contracted players.

However, Test cricket requires global attention. Barring England, Australia and India, red-ball cricket is losing viewers and that’s concerning. Keeping that in mind, Shah stated that he suggested ICC to allocate a dedicated fund for Test cricket as it is very expensive for not-so-fortunate countries. He added that if the board approves, a special fund can be provided.

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“I am a member of F&CA (Finance and Commercial Affairs) of the ICC. I have suggested there should be a dedicated fund for Test cricket. It's very expensive to host Test matches. If the (ICC) Board approves, we can do that. We're trying to create a special fund for Test cricket,” Shah was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.

Shah also explained why India don’t play day-night Test matches anymore. He mentioned that the spectators and broadcasters were missing out on the entertainment as the games were finishing much earlier than scheduled. He added that the fans don’t get refunds for their tickets, which is not fair to them and for the same reason, BCCI is hesitant to host pink-ball Tests.

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“Spectators and broadcasters are losing out. Ultimately, we have to look at their sentiments also. As a fan if you are buying a ticket for five days and if the match ends in two days, there is no refund. I am very emotional about that issue. It's not happening often. If it happens once in a while and if the opposition plays badly, how can I help? When our players do well, I can't tell our players to ensure the match lasts longer,” said Shah.