Shane Warne has added another chapter to his ever expanding ‘Warniefesto’, this time suggesting Test matches be reduced by a day and unlimited overs for ODI bowlers.

Warne posted on his website today a column titled ‘Some Suggestions’, covering topics as wide as one-day international fielding restrictions, the Decision Review System and pitch maintenance during the hours of play.

The biggest overhaul Warne suggests is the reduction of Test cricket from five days to four.

Australia’s leading Test wicket-taker says Test cricket should be played over four days with 96 overs bowled per day, an increase of six overs from the current requirement, which would follow the same format as the Bupa Sheffield Shield.

Play would commence an hour earlier to allow for the extra overs, while the lunch and tea intervals would change to 30 minutes each, again mirroring Shield cricket.

Warne says Test cricket should be played on a four-year home and away cycle, with points awarded for victories that would result in a winner every Olympiad, taking home a lump sum “say, $10 million” that is paid out by the International Cricket Council.

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The 45-year-old would also dramatically change ODI cricket.

Gone would be all fielding restrictions in a hope to encourage attacking captaincy, while defensive leaders would be exposed if they surrender nine fielders on the boundary rope.

Warne says the removal of fielding restrictions would put more onus back on the bowler setting the field, who would also be unshackled and allowed to bowl unlimited overs, up to 25 per match.

To further aid bowlers, the spin king suggests using a two-piece ball as opposed to the four-piece ball used in international and first-class cricket.

A two-piece ball, used in lower grades and club cricket, swings significantly more than the doubled version, with Warne liking it to “when we tape one side of a tennis ball.”

“Cricket followers want to see a real contest between bat and ball,” writes Warne.

“It’s a fallacy that they come along to the cricket just to see fours and sixes; they want a fair contest, a battle, and if anything, favoring the bowler.”

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Warne also says DRS should be employed in every international fixture and funded by the ICC.

Currently, non-ICC matches involving India do not use technology to assist the umpires, but Warne says “if everyone is playing by the same rules then it will be accepted, as it stands now, everyone should say no until all nations agree … not fair otherwise.”

The review system would also be tweaked, no longer penalising teams a review when the call reverts back to the umpire’s original decision.

“It’s hard to believe the number of decisions that are decided by a cat’s whisker,” he writes.

“A millimetre here or there and, suddenly, if you get it wrong, you lose a review.

“That’s ludicrous. If it’s a close one, and the decision stays ‘umpire’s call’, you should not be penalised by losing a review.”

Finally, Warne says the stumps should be a bit taller and wider, just for good measure.

The 'Warniefesto'

TESTS

To start with, let’s play Test matches over four days, not five.

A big call? Maybe – but not if ninety-six overs are bowled in each days play.

This could be achieved by extending the playing hours from 11am to 6pm, to 10am to 6pm and making lunch and tea breaks 30 minutes.

The sessions would then be extended to 2 hours and 20 minutes. With the constant access to drinks and treatment during these play days, the extra time wouldn’t be a problem, as teams would always bowl their overs in time and TV stations can schedule everything.

There should be no interference at all with the pitch during a day's play. There’s so much sweeping and grooming going on these days, it’s like we’re in a barbershop. Leave it be. The groundsmen can touch it each morning and that’s it, nothing through the day.

ODIS

We should do away with all field restrictions; the better attacking captains will be able to show their imagination and flair.

The captain will control the game with clever field placements, the negative, defensive captains with little understanding of the game will be exposed, as they will just revert to putting everyone on the fence, yawn, boring and the batsmen will dissect that field and manage to get two runs a ball minimum.

I also think this will make the bowlers take more responsibility in the fields they want and this change will make the players think more.

It would be fascinating to see how great bowlers like McGrath, Akram, Ambrose etc would perform in today’s cricket. I bet if these guys were bowling then there wouldn’t be as much talk about the size of the cricket bats.

Too many bowlers in today’s game give up too quickly. Some seem to take for granted that they are going to get whacked in short form cricket - come on bowlers, be better. FYI, the yorker delivered properly is still the best delivery at the end of a ODI or 20/20 game. Get better at it.

With the aid of technology, cricket bats have improved beyond belief and that’s a good thing, more of it I say. However, apart from a variety of colors, the ball hasn’t changed since Bradman was as boy.

On the ball

Why not look at a two-piece ball? That would make the cherry hoop around, and make things interesting for batsmen and bowlers alike, or a prouder seam to make the ball talk in all conditions. Remember what happens when we tape one side of a tennis ball.

Surely we could replicate that by it being weighted on one side like a lawn bowl, which would make the damn thing talk.

T20s

There’s no doubt about their popularity, but they should only be played domestically, except for a T20 World Cup every two years.

This then would not affect the IPL, Big Bash or any other 20/20 comp and is sort of like an Olympics.

DRS

I also challenge what it actually meant when they say that the ball is ‘pitching in line’.

As the rule reads now, if a ball isn’t more than half way pitching in the in line area, it’s deemed to be not pitching in line.

Did I miss something? How can it be ‘half’ pitching in line?

I think if a ball is touching the ‘corridor’ in any way when it pitches, it is in line.

And while I’m on the ‘corridor’, it should be lined up from the outside extremity of the stump, rather than the center. Those additional few millimeters will make all the difference to an umpire’s decision.