David Gower Says It Best Saving Test Cricket Is Like Saving the Tiger

If Test cricket were an animal, David Gower says it would be the tiger. Regal, rare, and quietly disappearing. While the world gets drunk on T20 fireworks and franchise glitz, the purest form of cricket is slowly getting sidelined. Gower, one of England’s classiest batters and sharpest minds, recently sat down with TOI and gave a chat that was equal parts nostalgic and brutally honest. And one quote from the conversation stuck out like a fresh red cherry on Day 1 – “Saving Test cricket is like saving the tiger.”

 

The Tiger Metaphor – What It Really Means

 

David Gower’s comparison of Test cricket to the tiger isn’t just poetic – it’s painfully accurate. Both are majestic in their own right. Both are in danger of becoming extinct in a world that’s chasing speed, entertainment, and money.

 

Gower doesn’t mince words when he says only three countries – India, England, and Australia – seem invested in keeping Tests alive. And the rest? Chasing leagues. South Africa’s pivot to the SA20, for example, tells you everything you need to know about where the money is and what boards are prioritizing.

 

But who cares? It’s just a format! Except Test cricket isn’t just a format. It’s the original format. It is the test of everything – skill, patience, strategy, mental stamina. And like tigers, when it is gone, there is no bringing it back to life. Gower sees this danger and urges the world to see it, and see it soon.

 

The Evolution of Batting – From Graceful to Gritty

 

Gower, in his discussion on the internet, does an interesting comparison between two modern Indian batters, Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill. One is a storm, the other a breeze. Both have been successful, but in different ways.

 

Gower is not being dismissive when he calls Gill “old-fashioned.” It is a compliment. Gill bats with elegance, he bats methodically—letting the game unfold and build an innings, which to Gower harkens back billions of years to a time when cricket was more elegant than fireworks. Similarly, the unthinking and often indiscriminately reckless machismo of Pant makes sense in the time of T20. While entertaining, it does leave a lot to chance.

 

The key takeaway? There’s room for both styles, if cricket allows them to coexist. Gower isn’t bashing the modern game; he’s simply saying that balance is needed. And for Test cricket to survive, it needs players who respect the rhythm of the format—even if they bring their flavour to it.

 

Ben Stokes: The Captain Test Cricket Needs Right Now

 

Gower has seen them all—Botham, Flintoff, and now Stokes. And while he has fond memories of the first two, it’s Ben Stokes who’s earned his highest praise. While Botham and Flintoff had trouble managing a team, Stokes has figured out how to lift others. This is exactly what Test cricket needs right now – a captain who understands the game, the grind, and the humans behind the helmets.

 

Stokes is proof that Test cricket can evolve and still stay meaningful. He blends aggression with care, flair with fight. And maybe, just maybe, his leadership is a small reason the format is still breathing.

 

David Gower’s words weren’t just a trip down memory lane—they were a challenge. A challenge to cricket boards, players, and fans to treat Test cricket like the endangered beauty it is. If we can get behind saving the tiger, can’t we do the same for the format that gave us Sachin’s centuries, Lara’s flair, and McGrath’s metronome?

 

The question is—do we still care enough?

 

For more, visit JeetBuzz News to read our quality Cricket Blog updates. Explore if you want to reminisce and enjoy all of your favourite cricket players and nostalgic match moments. To ensure that you never miss out, keep updated and join in the fun!