Is Lalit Modi really interested in saving test cricket?

Well news on cricinfo cites that the IPL chairperson - Lalith Modi assures that the IPL will not last for more than 7 weeks despite there being a great hunger for the same. The reason he cites being that in case the IPL moves on further, there will be little or no scope for the remaining two formats of the game namely the test and the one day formats. But, if the ICC test calender for the year in given a close look at, the naxt time after the IPL) that team India will be playing a test series would be somewhere after 2011.

The sport's leading website- the cricinfo shows no tours featuring India even until the Ashes 2010 which will be heppening later this year. One can take a look at the test series' that are scheduled by the ICC until 2011, which would show the Ashes 2010-11 as the last test series that would be scheduled. This was the main reason for the BCCI to think over the fact that "how long can India retain their recently acquired number 1 rankings in test cricket?". And, if Lalith Modi is concerned about the players from overseas, one has to wonder what made him restrict the number of foreign players in the playing XI to just 4.

Is Lalith Modi interested in backing the domestic cricket that mainly involves test cricket in tournaments like the Ranji trophy, Duleep Trophy and Irani trophy? Then, what makes the BCCI play such matches on grounds located in lesser known places like Mysore when the same can be played either at Eden Gardens or the Firozshah Kotla? And, as far as my knowledge regarding these tournaments goes, all these test series' are being allowed to be watched free of cost. So, which revenue was Lalith Modi talking about? So, according to Lalith Modi, it has to be test cricket that attracts more viewership than the other two formats.

I remember people coming back cursing after being denied a ticket for a one dayer with the status of the same being house full or tickets being sold out. But, that has not been the case with test matches where fans are found leaving the stadiums the moment they get to know that there can be no more excitement expected from the match. If Modi is really interested in bringing crowds back to test cricket why doesn't he insist that there be a tournament similar to the Sheffield Shield tournament which features players from all over the world which is a 4 day tournament? The only reason why the IPL cannot last 7 weeks is bacause that is the fastest duration within which a tournament can be finished with 2 games being played daily and no as Lalit Modi says.