Abysmal pace of Tests: Ian Chappell fumes

New Delhi: The T20 boom has threatened the existence of Test cricket but what is also hurting the red-ball game is the "abysmal pace of play", reckons Australian great Ian Chappell.

In a column for ESPNcricinfo, Chappell blamed the batters for wasting too much time in the middle.

"On the one hand Ben Stokes genuinely strives to improve the entertainment quotient of Test cricket but he's being undermined by the administrators' lack of initiative," he wrote before asking some pertinent questions.

"Why are batters allowed to meet mid-pitch during overs to discuss who knows what without penalty? Why aren't batters informed that etiquette requires them to be in their stance at the crease when a bowler is ready to deliver?

"Heat extremes excepted, why allow drinks at times outside of the re gular break? Why do glove changes occur so often? Surely this is superstition more than need. Why are'nt boundaries signalled only for balls that hit the rope rather than allowing pointless replays that look at the whereabouts of a fielder's feet or hands?" he asked.

The DRS also has also contributed to the slow pace of the game, feels Chappell. (PTI)