This is not the best of times for the form of the game which traditionalists love -- Tests. Achint Gupta reports for SportsCenter.

The deathblows to Test cricket have been too frequent in the ongoing year.

ICC's suggestion to tamper with the fundamentals, followed by Chris Gayle's comments that he would not mind if Test cricket didn't exist, and now with players like Andrew Flintoff and Chaminda Vaas bidding goodbye to the Test format just to prolong their ODI and T20 careers, have not helped the longer format's cause.

Anil Kumble's last ODI appearance was on March 19, 2007 -- one-and-a-half year before his last Test appearance on November 2, 2008.

Jumbo, who retired from One-day cricket after India's dismal World Cup performance gave it all to the Test cricket in that period, and played a major role in India's Test wins against Australia.

Surely for him, Test cricket was the form of cricket he harvested on but his other contemporaries aren't sticking to that formula.

Andrew Flintoff's match-winning five-wicket haul against Australia at Lord's has made him one of the most deadly English pacers, but sadly he will not continue to shatter stumps in whites as he has opted to play in the English blue for 6-7 more years.

"It is unfortunate that players who were known because of their Test records are opting to play in ODIs and are looking to earn money," Dilip Vengsarkar, former India player, said.

Perhaps, for players like Chaminda Vaas and Flintoff the decision to continue with T20s and ODIs has got to do with their decreasing fitness levels.

"It is tough to bowl in Test cricket for 20 overs, in ODIs ad T20 it is easier to bowl," said Lalchand Rajput, former India player.

Yes, it is tough to compete in Test cricket, but that is precisely what the cricketers are known for, to run-in and keep giving their 100 per cent. England will miss the non-stop and relentless burst from Freddie and cricket fans will miss the fierce competition that these stars are capable of producing.