American Marconi Wireless News - Test cricket needs quality not quantity to stay alive: Australia chief

Marking 100 days until the home Ashes series against England begins in Perth, Cricket Australia CEO Greenberg suggested quality not quantity was important in keeping the red-ball game viable.

"We're trying to send countries bankrupt if we force them to try to play Test cricket," he told reporters.

"We need to make sure we invest in the right spaces to play Test cricket where it means something.

"That's why the Ashes will be as enormous and as profitable as it is -- because it means something."

England have just completed a thrilling 2-2 home drawn series against India in front of sold-out crowds.

At the same time, New Zealand and Australia romped to easy overseas Test series wins against uncompetitive West Indies and Zimbabwe teams respectively, leaving question marks over the quality of Test cricket in those countries.

One idea is to create two or more divisions of Test cricket to keep it competitive, but Greenberg said he did not have a strong opinion on the ideal number of Test-playing nations.

"Let's consider what the future might look like," he said.

But the five-day game remained in rude health in Australia, Greenberg said, where interest in the Ashes had been "off the charts".

"This will be the biggest sports event in Australia this year," said Greenberg.

"The interest is quite extraordinary with ticket allocations for 11 of the 20 days on sale already exhausted."

P.Santos--AMWN