Boucher throws his weight behind the retention of the five-day Test format

Former Test veteran Mark Boucher has thrown his weight behind the retention of the five-day Test format.

The influential England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is orchestrating a push to reduce Test matches from five days to four and it could become a reality‚ perhaps ironically‚ in 2020.

With interest in Test cricket in decline‚ the ECB believes a more condensed version will re-energise the format.

Boucher‚ however‚ argues that the current format has stood the test of time since it's introduction in 1973.

“I love Test cricket‚” said the former wicketkeeper who played in 147 Tests.

“It is over five days and that is the way it should be.

"I understand that there is a couple of experimental things going on.

"I would like to keep it the way it is. I think it is the truest format of the game. That is why it is called a Test.

“It tests your patience‚ your boil over five days.

"Why would we want to change that?

“I think there are one or two formats that you can mess around with.

"The T20 has come and has done wonders‚ the one day format we've played around with a bit.

"You call it pyjama cricket and I have no problem with that‚” said Boucher.

The proponents of change will argue there has been a gradual decrease in the number of Test matches that go into a fifth day.

In the 80s around 77 percent of Test matches saw action on the last day.

That figure dropped to 58 percent since the start of this decade.

Cricket South Africa were desperate to press the Proteas into action in a four-day Test against Zimbabwe starting on Boxing Day.

Those plans are yet to be firmed up.

Boucher admitted Test cricket will come under scrutiny over the coming months.

“We are going to find out now how big Test cricket is when the Indians come to South Africa.

"It will be a well supported series. It's been a long time since the Indians have come here.

"The Indians have been playing well‚ we are playing well.

"We have the Ashes around the corner as well.

“There are big Test series coming up now that will be well supported.

"Why would you want to change that? I'd like to sit with those people who make those decisions and find out their reasoning behind it.

"Maybe they can change my way of thinking but they are going to have a very good reason.

“I think if you spoke to people who have played in a lot of Test matches they'd like to see it continue (in its current format).

"The number of times we've gone into the last session of a Test match with the game on the line.

"You're tired and it's been hard toil‚ the bowlers are tired.

"If you win that Test after five days of hard toil against a good team there is nothing better than sitting in the dressing room tired and having a beer celebrating a win.

"I hope that feeling doesn't get taken away from the players.”