Test cricket needs quality not quantity to stay alive: Australia chief Todd Greenberg

India won the fifth and final Test vs England at The Oval (Getty Images)

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Australia cricket chief Todd Greenberg on Wednesday said a reduced Test calendar could help smaller nations, as the five-day format thrived most “where it means something.” With 100 days to go until the home Ashes series against England begins in Perth, the Cricket Australia CEO stressed that quality, not quantity, was key to keeping red-ball cricket strong."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 recently wrapped up a thrilling 2-2 home series draw against India in front of sold-out stadiums.In contrast, New Zealand and Australia cruised to easy overseas Test series wins against the struggling West Indies and Zimbabwe respectively, raising doubts over the competitiveness of Test cricket in those nations.One proposal is to introduce two or more divisions of Test cricket to maintain competitiveness, though Greenberg said he had no firm view on the ideal number of Test-playing nations."Let's consider what the future might look like," he said.According to Greenberg, the five-day game remained in excellent health in Australia, with Ashes interest “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."

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