Australian legend Allan Border has expressed his frustration over the slowness and 'chain-dragging' in Test cricket, saying that valuable time is wasted by slow over rates and the Decision Review System (DRS) referrals and verdicts in the format.
According to The Courier Mail, the former captain and national selector is annoyed with the unnecessary delays in the modern Test format, along with the fact that today's players get away with deliberate 'go slow' tactics, and called for captains to be more accountable than they are at present.
Hoping to see Test cricket remain a vibrant part of the cricket calendar, Border said that over rates were unnecessary slow and appalling in the Old Trafford Test, adding that although both sides were culpable for the fact, England was mainly responsible as they seemed to throw the towel and play for a draw after day one.
According to Border, it is not good enough for a team to bowl only 12 or 13 overs an hour, adding that even though Test matches between Australia and England may survive such tactics, smaller matches would be considerably damaged by them.
Holding the controversial DRS as another culprit responsible for time wastage in Tests, Border said that he is starting to agree with some of India's concerns over the technology, adding that it is causing more problems than it is solving as it takes up a worrying amount of time over a verdict.
Slamming the post-decision fallout where an anguished party wants to convey their discontent, Border also said that in a day during the Old Trafford Test, there may have been almost 20 drinks breaks and five DRS referrals, some of which took up to five minutes to resolve, adding that it is a poor look for the game.
Border further worried over the fact that the upcoming cricket players may be adversely influenced by what they feel is right for the game, and suggested that the umpires control the game in the way they did for more than a century, instead of waiting for a DRS referral.
Border also said that reviews are used tactically depending on who is batting and the state of the game rather than simply on the merit of the umpire's decision, adding that he would not mind teams being limited to one referral so as to have them save it for the howler.