The England Test captain Andrew Strauss fears cricket administrators are in danger of sowing the seeds of the sport's downfall if the five-day format of the game is neglected.
Strauss has led England to the top of the Test rankings since being handed the captaincy in 2009, but is worried about the way the game is heading.
Doubts over the International Cricket Council's proposed 2013 World Test Championship and the fact that the home series against South Africa next year has been slimmed down to three Tests have done little to allay Strauss's worries.
Strauss says if people involved in the game are arrogant and assume that Test cricket will always be there, it will lead to its downfall.
While English Test attendances have remained steady despite the increased demand for the more dynamic shorter formats, crowds in cricketing hotbeds such as India have dwindled.
Strauss believes administrators need to do more to protect the roots of the sport by backing their statements up with actions.
He says all three forms of the game can co-exist, but the ICC needs to be clever about it and not only play games because they will bring in money.
