‘Just make it a bit cheaper’ - England captain Ben Stokes adamant that without Test matches ‘cricket will die’

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England captain and talisman Ben Stokes has had his say on the state of Test cricket, following scenes at Lords last weekend when empty seats were the norm as England beat Sri Lanka on the fourth day. Stokes was in attendance but not playing, as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury. He insisted that prices must be affordable to attract fans to stadiums.

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Ben Stokes has reiterated his belief that Test cricket is the "best form of the game" as he continues to defend the longer format amid worries about the future of the five-day game.

Last weekend, England beat Sri Lanka on the fourth day of the second Test by 190 runs at Lords, but there were very few in attendance to applaud the side - with ticket prices blamed by many for keeping fans away.

Stokes was there, watching stand in captain Ollie Pope marshal the team to an unassailable 2-0 series lead, with a third Test to come at the Oval. But there are already concerns about fan attendance at that third Test.

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“I don’t think that’s a reflection of Test cricket around the world or Test cricket here,” Stokes said - quoted by The Telegraph.

“I think it’s just a pretty easy thing to have been able to do on that fourth day [at Lords] – just make it a bit cheaper for people to come and watch. Pretty easy solution in my eyes.”

The old trope that Test cricket is dying has been around for years - but certainly that has never looked the case in England, with sell-out crowds the norm at most venues.

Injured captain Ben Stokes makes his way round the boundary to the nets during day one of the 2nd Test match between England and Sri Lanka at Lord's Cricket Ground

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But England are almost victims of their own success, their exciting ‘BazBall’ brand of cricket meaning the game moves along at pace and often doesn’t make it to day five, unless the weather intervenes.

Nonetheless, BazBall has proved highly popular, and gained plaudits the world over - rekindling an interest in the longer form of the game from fans who have grown up on a diet of T20 cricket. Still, the sport has constantly looked for ways to reinvent itself - as shown by the Hundred, which now has pride of place in the heart of the English cricket calendar.

“Without Test cricket, I think cricket will die,” Stokes continued.

“I mean maybe saying Test cricket’s dying could probably stop being said - because it’s not, never will. It’s the best form of the game.

“It’s just pretty mad, isn’t it, how much cricket is being played, [it] probably needs to be looked at a bit.”

England have played 15 Tests in the last year, compared to 12 for Australia, 9 for India and 6 for New Zealand.

The Test championship final is set to be played at Lords next summer, with the hope being that those swathes of empty seats were a one-off, rather than a taste of what is to come from the longer form of the game.
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