I played a hundred Tests. It is one of my proudest achievements. I feel lucky I am playing franchise cricket having been fulfilled by Test cricket. It is a big thing to play a hundred Tests but I just know the younger generation may not manage that because their heads will be turned by Twenty20.  They cannot go public and say that because they do not want to put contracts with their home board in jeopardy, but they see guys earning a hell of a lot of money in franchise cricket, enjoying themselves and having an easier life.  Look at Pollard. He has not even played Test cricket but he probably earns more than someone such as Joe Root. Pollard does not spend months on the road, he hardly faces a bouncer, sees his kids more and has no real pressure.  Compare that with Root, who earns less, plays every form of cricket for England so is under constant media scrutiny and spends so much time away from his own house. Something has to give eventually.  I believe Test cricketers should be the best paid players in the world. Guys such as Root should be earning the big money, not Twenty20 cricketers. If we play fewer Tests and pay the Test cricketers the money they deserve then the future of the game will be more assured.  The standard of the product can still be very high. The start of Test matches, the last day and certain periods of play can be great viewing.  I would pay to watch Root, Stokes and Bairstow bat. They are brilliant. But would I pay to watch someone like Alastair Cook bat? Maybe not – although there is no doubt he is a brilliant Test player, one on the cusp of 10,000 Test runs. Yes, he blocks a lot but he deserves huge respect for the way he trains and his level of professionalism.
There has been criticism of the England and Wales Cricket Board’s idea to introduce a new points system for cricket this summer and it is certainly a gimmick that will divide opinion.