England all-rounder Ben Stokes wants the rules of Test cricket to remain untouched.

The longest format of the international game is under pressure to adapt in a cricket calendar increasingly lined with T20I series and other limited-overs tournaments, such as the Indian Premier League, The Hundred, Caribbean Premier League and more.

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‘For me Test cricket is the pinnacle. There’s been a lot of talk recently about Test cricket dying, but I don’t know where that comes from,’ Stokes said during a podcast with the Rajasthan Royals.

‘You ask all the players who, or maybe not all the players, but I know the likes of Virat Kohli and Joe Root have spoken about how Test cricket is where you really get tested.

‘It’s where you find out what you’re really about as a cricketer and for me it is the purest form of the sport. It has to stay around, it would be a sad, sad day if Test cricket was changed. If they are going to change the rules, I think they should call it “easy cricket”.’

Stokes was due to join the Royals for the 2020 edition of the IPL this month. The tournament, though, has been suspended indefinitely amid the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

‘I feel not just for cricketers, but also for other athletes around the world, we still have to prepare as if we are playing in two or three weeks’ time, because I don’t think you can just sit back and wait for the news that says we are playing again,’ he added.

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