Ganguly insists Test cricket helps players develop real skills

The one-day or T20 format may be very popular but the real cricket is playing Test matches that actually develop the real skill of a player, according to former Indian cricket captain and Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) Joint Secretary Sourav Ganguly.

He was addressing a packed Rabindra Centenary hall in Agartala during the annual prize giving ceremony of Tripura Cricket Association (TCA).

"Test cricket is the real cricket because there the real skill of a player develops and is tested, irrespective of the popularity for the one-day or T20 cricket," said Ganguly, who was advising the young crickets of the state who came to see their 'Dada' (elder brother) - Ganguly popularly addressed as.

He also advised the budding crickets that infrastructure does not necessarily helps in making good players, but insisted that a perfect blend of better utilization of the available infrastructure and hard-work is the secret of any good cricketer.

"Only good infrastructure cannot develop good players, infrastructure is just only a part of developing good players. The main thing necessary to make a good player is you yourself, how good you shall use the infrastructure and try to become a good player that will decide how good a player you are going to be after a year, two or five and develop your game and as well as that of the state," said the 43-year-old former captain.

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, Sports Minister Sahid Chowdhury, TCA Secretary Sourav Dasgupta were some of the other attendees of the programme.