Former Team India skipper Anil Kumble has finally spoken on the much-debated topic of International Cricket Council's (ICC) proposition of turning Test cricket into a four-day encounter.

Kumble, who is part of ICC's Cricket Committee, expressed his thoughts on how players themselves want to play five-day tests and if it's just four days, it's not a Test match anymore.

"The sense of what I think about it is the players have given that. I mean, they don't want a four-day Test," Kumble said.

"Five-day Test is what it is. And a Test it is because it is five days. If it was four days, it wouldn't be a Test. I am very clear on that," he added.

"It was discussed a couple of years ago, but I don't think there's any progress made on taking a decision of a mandatory four-day Test. I don't think it has ever been done," the former cricketer claimed.

"There was an experiment done with South Africa and Zimbabwe, where they played a four-day Test match. England played Ireland. I mean when you play Afghanistan, Ireland, Zimbabwe, maybe the boards have the wherewithal to go ahead and play a four-day Test."

Back in January, Cricket South Africa (CSA) had publicly voiced their support towards ICC's concept of four-day Test matches by releasing an official public statement.

“In view of an unsourced and misleading report in the media this morning, please be advised that it is Cricket South Africa’s official policy to support four-day Test match cricket. We, in fact, hosted the first official four-day test match between ourselves and Zimbabwe a couple of years ago,” the statement read.

England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) recently also confirmed their stand on ICC's proposition and claimed they will support the idea after 2023.

However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Cricket Australia (CA) are yet to reveal their decisions on this much-speculated topic.

Speaking on the same topic, Team India head coach Ravi Shastri had said: "Four day Test is nonsense. If this goes on we may have limited-overs Tests. There is no need to tamper with five-day Tests. If at all they want to tamper then let the top six sides play five-day Tests and the next six be allowed to play four-day Tests."

“If you want preserve Tests then let the top six play more against each other. You have the shorter format to popularise the game,” he added.