Shahid Afridi and Virender Sehwag differ on Test cricket’s future

They have faced each other several times on the field and have given their best against each other’s team in whatever format they have played. Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag and former Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi have a different take on the future of Test cricket.

It was not difficult to anticipate which of the two former players would be opining what about the traditional format even though both were explosive players in their playing days, caring little for the bowlers they loved to slaughter.

Sehwag says Test will not die as long as good players emerge

Sehwag spoke in favour of Test cricket for the 39-year-old batsman feels neither Test nor ODIs (the other format he prefers) would die as long as star players continued to emerge on the horizon. Sehwag, who was speaking at a promotional event for the second edition of the T10 League scheduled in November-December in the UAE, was quoted as saying by Khaleej Times: “I still prefer Test cricket and ODIs. We may have a lot of T20s and T10s but I don’t think Test cricket or ODIs will ever die as long as some star emerges. Look at Prithvi Shaw who has come through the ranks.”

Shaw, 18, on Thursday, became the youngest Indian batsman to score a hundred on debut in Rajkot against the Windies.

Afridi, 38, however, begged to differ. According to him, the red-ball game was perhaps becoming less appealing to the young generation of spectators and even the players who he said are preferring to play the shorter formats more.
“For me in today’s times, Test cricket, no way. I loved playing One-Dayers. I feel if you don’t enjoy something then you are forcibly trying to do it and I never liked being forced into anything,” the 38-year-old said. He also said that the T20 and T10 formats have extended the players’ careers.

While Sehwag had a more balanced career in both the Tests and ODIs, scoring over 8,000 runs in each format, Afridi was more effective in ODIs and had limited success in Tests. He was also more prominent a player in the T20Is, having played 99 of them as against Sehwag’s 19.

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