Good on James Anderson for fighting for Test cricket's future but others need to follow suit

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  • It was refreshing to see James Anderson actually go on record and reveal that he fears deeply for the future of Test cricket.

    The England swing bowler, who is fifth in the all-time wicket-taking rankings in the format with 523 victims, has hopefully set a precedent that will now encourage other stars to speak out.

    It’s sad to think, at 35, the Lancastrian will probably be the last man to reach that haul of wickets in Tests with the likes of an ageing Rangana Herath, out-of-form Stuart Broad and Ravi Ashwin, who has an astonishing record, way back in the standings.

    Up to this point, too few cricketers have joined what now seems an age-old conversation over how to keep cricket’s most prestigious format alive.

    There have been day-night Tests, the successful use of pink balls, the trial of a four-day match in South Africa last year and the inaugural ICC Test Championship set to commence in 2019, but ultimately the men out in the middle exercise a huge say.

    Adil Rashid, Alex Hales and Reece Topley’s decisions to go it alone and sign purely white-ball contractual terms for the coming English domestic summer have been widely documented while the rise of freelance limited-overs specialists has gone through the roof.

    There’s a real element of follow the leader here and it’s a dangerous trend with Test cricket facing its biggest period of adversity.

    But, on the face of it, you can’t blame those players for pursuing riches in a sport where few make it to the summit.

    Australia's Steven Smith plays a shot during day one of the first Sunfoil Test between South Africa and Australia at Kingsmead Stadium in Durban on March 1, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / MARCO LONGARI (Photo credit should read MARCO LONGARI/AFP/Getty Images)

    Empty crowd in Durban: No spectators in sight to watch South Africa and Australia on Thursday.

    Playing Test cricket is still seen as the be all and end all for the previous generation and some of the current, but as for the next – it just won’t be. With T20 internationals and wholesale domestic leagues the world-over increasing and dominating television coverage, future players won’t be learning to block like Boycott but instead whack it like Warner.

    It actually echoes, partly, that of teenage football fans or those in their early 20s, many of whom probably disregard footy before the advent of the Premier League and Champions League.

    For all the hypothetical reasoning surrounding Test cricket’s decline and the governing bodies involved, player power, like in football, has begun to grip the game.

    If more stars – like Virat Kohli, Steve Smith and AB de Villiers – talk up Tests, then that can only be a good thing.

    The difference is Anderson’s heartfelt plea came from a man who has been red-ball exclusive for a few years now, and the IPL or Big Bash were never really true options. While he is still enjoying a very lucrative career in the game, it’s a different story for those now faced with making these types of decisions in their early to mid-20s. West Indies players, being a case in point, given the chaos with their board.

    All the signs are pointing away from Test cricket. There are fewer lucrative deals, dwindling crowds (England and Australia aside), irregularity of series and a mismatch of sides. There’s not many reasons to get on board. Anderson is right, it’s very worrying indeed – and it’s only the players themselves who can turn the tide.

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