ECB has to protect the 5-day game.

Byline: BEN THORNLEY; ANDY GILPIN

WHILE I don't blame Freddie Flintoff for retiring from Test cricket it underlines a much bigger problem for me.

It brings up the rather new question of whether Test cricket is being eroded in favour of more exciting forms of the game.

Yes, excitement and cricket. Two words that don't sit well, but that's exactly what the likes of Freddie managed to marry together when they took the Ashes in 2005.

That series, live on terrestrial TV, fired a nation and brought a whole new generation to the wonders of cricket.

The series showed the Test's true power. Five days coming down to a single ball, where even a draw can be celebrated like a win.

The England (and Wales) cricket board must fight tooth and nail to keep the Test in it's lofty position, because it seems that most other cricket playing nations are favouring the short form of the game.

Geoffrey rubbish at In the end only two nations have an Ashes series to contend. The rest embark on massive tours where only the one dayers and Twenty20 matches are really full to the rafters.

Flintoff's decision won't help the pressure growing on Test match cricket.

He doesn't want to put his body through the rigours of bowling 60+ overs during a five-day Test match, but he's more than happy to blast through four in a Twenty20 game.

He'd probably receive just as much cash, and he and the likes of West Indies captain Chris Gayle are more than happy to peddle his talents around the world in Twenty20 matches, rather than slog through a Test.

In truth he probably sees his Test powers waning due to a myriad of injuries.

All he's good for now is a quick-fire 24 with the bat, which can be explosive in Twenty20, but rather redundant in the Test arena.

And while his bowling can make the difference in short bursts, neither Flintoff, Andrew Strauss or the England management want to risk him for prolonged periods.

But where does this leave England? Well, I go back to a point which I made a few weeks ago... England are no good at Twenty20 because it's not in their nature to entertain.

The UK game is based on the grit of the likes of Geoffrey Boycott, epitomised by Paul Collingwood in the last Ashes Test as he battled through when all the fancy Dan's at the top of the order just wanted to give their wickets away.

He's rubbish at Twenty20 cricket and Boycott would have been 10 times worse.

Boycott - Twenty20

If the shorter form of the game really is the way modern cricket is going then youngsters and those playing the game now will need to be re-educated to play like, er, Andrew Flintoff.

And let's think of the Barmy Army in all this.

Yes Twenty20 cricket is massively exciting, but is it really worth going to all the time and effort dressing up as the Pink Panther for just over three hours? Think about our costumed friends - many of which look like the don't get out much - save Test cricket and let them spend a whole day in the boiling heat dressed as Ninja Turtle.

. AGREE or disagree, email your views to [e-mail]

CAPTION(S):

Geoffrey Boycott - rubbish at Twenty20 Andrew Flintoff will walk out on Test cricket