Virat Kohli calling Test cricket most important is great PR: Former England captain David Gower

Former England captain David Gower believes that current India skipper Virat Kohli`s love for the Test format is great advertisement for the longest format of the gentleman`s game.

In a conversation on SportsTiger`s show `Off-the-Field` Gower discussed his illustrious cricketing career, Test cricket, the Ashes, IPL`s impact, Kohli and how the game has changed over the years.

Gower, who featured for the three-lions in 117 Test matches and 114 One Day Internationals (ODI) scoring 8,231 and 3170 runs respectively, seemed mighty impressed by the Indian captain`s love for Test cricket.

"Virat Kohli as the leading player of the world calling Test cricket as the toughest and most important form is great PR for the format," he said.

Gower also picked his best Test XI from the current players and said Ben Stokes and Virat Kohli will be the instant picks for him and there are no two ways about it. He also picked Joe Root, Kane Williamson and Steve Smith as a part of the team. He also said if a current-day spinner is to be chosen it would be between Ravichandran Ashwin and Nathan Lyon.

He also said, "If I have to pick a captain for the team it will surely be Virat. What I like about Virat apart from his talent is his passion and absolute drive. Cricket is still a game where you can be a brilliant individual within the team but too much of individuality can also be harmful but Virat is an extraordinary individual contributing to the team."

Speaking about the IPL, Gower went on to say, "I think overall the IPL has been very good for cricketers, both for the homegrown and the international players. Ever since the games have got shorter from the time of the invention of ODI, fielding has become incredible. I think T20 has changed a lot since the first days of IPL when IPL was taking some of the great players from around the world at the end of their career. But now, one wants the young players. I feel it is a very good training ground for players.

"Gower who has captained England in the Ashes and has featured in eight Ashes series commented on the legacy of the clash and said, "It is one of the series which has an illustrious history. For an English or Australian cricketer, it means the history of Don Bradman, Keith Miller, Len Hutton, Wally Hammond and WG Grace. The first time I was in the dressing room at the Sydney Cricket Ground, I looked around thinking that there have been some great players who have been in these exact same rooms. The Ashes has that absolute history about it."