‘Retirements are coming thick and fast’ – Aakash Chopra makes audacious claim about Test cricket

Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra feels Test cricket has less existence in cricket as compared to all three formats. Notably, it has been noted that a plethora of cricket players focus on T20I games or ODIs, but there are very few cricketers who set out to score everything on the red ball of cricket.

Meanwhile, Aakash Chopra feels players are set to take retirement from Test cricket to prepare for white-ball cricket, citing the example of South African star batter Heinrich Klaasen. The former India opener feels the retirement of the players is coming very soon in Test cricket. In addition, the 46-year-old cricketer revealed that some are declining the central contract as well to avoid the Test format.

“Heinrich Klaasen has taken retirement from Test cricket. He has played a handful of matches, he is not too old as well, but he said he is done. It has become a sort of trend that retirements are coming thick and fast. I feel Test cricket is slightly struggling for existence. It’s a question of survival, which is called an existential crisis. Some people are declining central contracts, as they want to be a free bird, and some are taking retirement. They say they don’t want to play the format at all,” Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

The third is India, who don’t earn from it but can subsidize: Aakash Chopra

The cricketer-turned-analyst feels only two teams—England and Australia—can manage to play Test cricket owing to the money that they make. However, the well-renowned cricket commentator says India also somehow earns a lot from Test cricket.

“The truth is that only two teams in the world can afford to play Test cricket, who actually earn money from it – England and Australia, courtesy the Ashes, and there is a slight tradition as well. The third is India, who don’t earn from it but can subsidize it because it does not make a difference as they have a lot of money,” he added further.