‘If we leave Tests to wealthy, it dies a slow death’: Former Australia pacer Mitchell Johnson | Cricket News
Former Australian fast bowler Mitchell Johnson has criticised Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg’s recent statements about Test cricket’s future. Johnson disagrees with Greenberg’s view that not all countries need to aspire to play Test cricket or bear its financial losses.Test cricket, the traditional five-day format of the sport, faces challenges due to its high costs. With declining attendance and shorter attention spans, cricket boards with limited resources are struggling to maintain the format.A proposed solution, supported by Johnson, suggests dividing Test cricket into two tiers. The top tier would include wealthy nations like India, England, and Australia, while other countries would compete in the second tier. This system would include promotion and relegation between tiers.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!“Here’s the thing — if that’s the fear, then we’ve already missed the point. The solution to saving Test cricket isn’t to scale it down to three or four rich countries. It’s to lift the rest up. Help them. Grow the game. Back them,” Johnson wrote in his column for The West Australian.“This is where real leadership starts — not by pulling up the ladder, but by building a stronger base. Because let’s be clear: these nations want to play Test cricket. The players want it. The fans want it. So why are we making it so hard? I’ve been to countries where cricket isn’t backed by billion-dollar TV deals — but the passion is still there.”Johnson suggests that instead of financial support alone, the Big Three nations should provide guidance and physical presence to smaller cricket boards. This assistance would help develop the game from grassroots level and engage audiences effectively.“Because here’s the reality: if we only leave Test cricket to the wealthy, it dies a slow death. Fans see through that. Players lose hope. And one by one, countries quietly drift towards the formats that pay quicker and hurt less. West Indies cricket has been an example of this. But Test cricket is supposed to hurt. It’s supposed to demand more. That’s the beauty of it. You don’t earn a baggy green or a Test cap because you’ve bowled four overs, including a couple in the powerplay.““You earn it over years — through bruises, setbacks, second-innings spells in 40C heat when your body says no and your heart says yes. And that feeling isn’t exclusive to Australia or India or England. It lives in the soul of every young cricketer from all parts of the world. The only difference is opportunity.”
