‘Test cricket is like classic music’ - AB de Villiers gives his take on T20 versus Test debate

With the rise of franchise T20 leagues all across the globe, the relevancy of the longest format has often been questioned in recent times. With more and more T20 leagues being introduced across the globe, the slot for Test cricket throughout the yearly cricket calendar looks bleak. 

However, according to former South Africa legend, AB de Villiers, the three formats of cricket should find a way to co-exist. De Villiers compared the three formats of cricket to various genres of music. Branding Test cricket as classical music, the former wicketkeeper compared T20 cricket to rock music.

“Cricket is like music and Test cricket is like classic music and T20 like rock music. There should be room for all genres to exist,” de Villiers said at the CNN-News18's Rising Bharat Summit, in New Delhi.

“It comes from the administrators, the boards, they really need to take these decisions out of their hands, or at least make it easier for them by saying, ‘you know what, it can still be entertaining, it can be good for you’,” he added.

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We take Test cricket equally seriously: Aakash Chopra

Apart from AB de Villiers, some other cricket stars like Brett Lee, Anjum Chopra and Aakash Chopra were also part of the panel who discussed the various aspects of T20 and Test cricket. Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra had an interesting take on the future of Test cricket. The pundit opined that the various cricket boards should keep investing in the longest format.

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“BCCI are doing their bit. They have added Rs 45 lakh per game, in addition to the Rs 15 lakh that you get, which is almost $80,000 for a game of cricket, which is phenomenal. India will continue to do its bit, Australia is very keen to play Test cricket. South Africa is facing their own set of challenges, and we don’t mean to look down at anyone, because all of us are very different. We have our own challenges,” Chopra said.