NZ chief calls for two tiers, 4-day Tests

New Zealand Cricket chief David White called Tuesday for Test cricket to continue its pink-ball revolution by slashing the format to four days and introducing two divisions.

The longest form of the game has struggled to find an audience in the Twenty20 era, prompting the introduction last year of day-night Tests played under lights with a pink ball.

The idea, first floated by former Australian captain Mark Taylor, has already won support from fellow Aussie greats Shane Warne and Greg Chappell, as well as England Cricket Board chairman Colin Graves.

"We need to seriously look at it," White told ESPNCricinfo.com. "One of the challenges at the moment is if you play a three-Test series it has to be played over four weeks.

"But if you play a three-Test series of four-day cricket, it can be played over three weeks, so you save a week."

White also supported plans to introduce two divisions in Test cricket, saying it would give greater "context" to the game.

"If we had a competition with promotion and relegation, and a winner at the end, it would really increase interest, no doubt about that," he said.

White said if two divisions were introduced, steps needed to be taken to ensure countries that were in the bottom tier were not disadvantaged financially.