Won’t like to see 50-over format being withdrawn: Gordon Greenidge

Just like his ferocious cuts and pulls that made him one of the pre-eminent batters of the 1970s and 80s, Gordon Greenidge pulls no punches with his opinions on the game. Now 71, the former opening batter played the last of his 108 Tests and 128 ODIs for that legendary West Indies team more than three decades ago, but his star pull is still intact.

It was on evidence at the Ferozeshah Kotla ground on Monday afternoon, drawing a sizeable audience at the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) club for an event celebrating his long-standing association with bat manufacturer BDM.

Greenidge held forth on what he sees as a far from ideal expansion of T20 cricket, highlighted by the mushrooming of various leagues around the world. With an ODI World Cup slated for October-November in India, one half of the famous Greenidge-Haynes opening combination that featured in the first two ODI World Cup triumphs in 1975 and 1979, hopes to see 50-over cricket retain relevance.

"I would not like to see the 50-over game being withdrawn and just T20s being played. I believe T20 is purely for the spectators. T20 is not a cricketer's sport. Yes, cricketers play it, but it is like fast food. Test cricket is real cricket. After T20s, we are now seeing 10 overs. What next from here? Possibly one or two overs? Please do not banish Tests. That is the real cricket we are all here for and we all grew up with," Greenidge told reporters.

Asked whether the unceasing decline of cricket in the Caribbean hurt him, Greenidge used it as an opportunity to reiterate the primacy of Tests.

"It used to hurt me but doesn't anymore. Because I don't watch (a lot of) cricket anymore. I only go to watch Tests, or if there's a young player being spoken about, I will try my best to go and watch that player and make my judgement. I love Tests and have always done so. It is no criticism (of T20s). It is just my view."

Greenidge was asked about his take on bowlers running out non-strikers for backing up outside their crease. It has always been a contentious topic, with the International Cricket Council's decision last year to move the mode of dismissal from 'unfair play' to 'run out' putting it in greater focus. In the past week, India skipper Rohit Sharma withdrew an appeal against Sri Lanka skipper Dasun Shanaka after Mohammed Shami ran him out while the U-19 Women's World Cup saw Pakistan bowler Zamina Tahir run out a batter from Rwanda at the non-striker's end.

"I suppose it's not a pleasant way for anyone to lose their wicket. Some will say it's not in the spirit of the game. But I also have to say that to back up two or three metres (outside the crease) is stealing. If the bowler marginally oversteps, it is called a no ball and the batter gets a free hit."

"Playing within the rules of the game is something we have to do. Hopefully, these things will not happen too often. Unfortunately, many of the laws that have been introduced in the last 10-15 years have been very much in favour of the batter," Greenidge concluded.