Luck eludes Australia early on day four

Australian cricket great Shane Warne has called on the ICC to become more ruthless on slow over rates, saying the captain of sides falling short of the mark should cop an automatic one-match suspension.

Warne has called on Tests to be shortened from five days to four, and said a crackdown on slow over rates needed to come into effect for his plan to work.

The 47-year-old believes more overs should be squeezed into each day's play.

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Currently, only 90 overs are required in a day's play.

Under current laws, a captain of an international side will be suspended for one match if his team is guilty of two minor over-rate offences in the same format over a 12-month period.

Warne believes this should be changed to a suspension for every time a team falls short of the required over rate.

"If the captain is suspended for a slow over rate, then I guarantee you they'll get through the overs," Warne said while commentating for Channel 9 during the first Test between Australia and South Africa at the WACA Ground.

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Warne, Mark Taylor, Greg Chappell, and Allan Border have joined the growing chorus of cricket greats calling for Test matches to be reduced to four days.

Although Australia and England are able to attract relatively strong Test crowds, the game is dwindling in spectator popularity in other countries.

"If we really want to do something about Test cricket, we've got to make some change," Taylor said.

Warne added: "Unfortunately the fans are not turning up around the world.

"I agree with four-day Test matches. It's something that needs to be looked at."

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