Former Indian off-spinner and commentator Harbhajan Singh has advised the International Cricket Council (ICC) to improve the viewership of the longest format of the game to keep it alive.
Speaking exclusively to PTI, Bhajji has emphasised that he loves watching India playing against Australia, England or South Africa in Test cricket. He went on to add that he doesn’t have any interest in watching ODI cricket of late.
“I think international cricket should get more attention, because it is a fun of its own. If India is playing against Australia, England, or South Africa, I would love to watch it. I would pay money to go and watch Test cricket. I have absolutely no interest in ODI cricket, I have seen it and it is over. In my opinion, Test cricket is the main cricket, and whatever needs to be done to keep it alive, it should be done by the ICC and everyone else,” Harbhajan Singh told PTI.
“I think 70 percent of the transformation has already been done. If I talk about international cricket, if India plays against Australia, whether it be in Australia or India, there is viewership for that. But if India plays against Sri Lanka or Afghanistan, then that viewership is not there,” Harbhajan added.
Additionally, the Turbanator has added that international cricket has already taken a backseat a little due to the growth of the various T20 leagues across the globe.
“But when it comes to The Hundred or the BBL, the grounds are full there. In the IPL, people are not able to get tickets. So, that culture has already developed, people’s interest is there for only those 2 months, so that shift has already arrived, international cricket has taken a backseat a little. To get it back to where it was, it might be a little difficult,” he concluded.
