Those of us in thrall to Test cricket are surely entitled to feel anxious about the dwindling attendances at the majority of matches on the schedules these days. All through the winter, a variety of TV commentators have employed different words - including "sparse", "disappointing" and "patchy" - to describe the number of spectators at games in South Africa, the West Indies and New Zealand. But perhaps we should can the euphemisms and cut to the chase.

On Saturday morning in Auckland, with the Kiwis set fair on 250 for 1 in the Third Test of their series with England, one might have anticipated a healthy crowd at Eden Park. Instead, the ground was almost eerily quiet for much of the day, with large parts of the arena virtually empty. Even a lot of the "Barmy Army" foot soldiers seemed to have gone AWOL and yet, irrespective of the recent travails suffered by the Black Caps, New Zealand have a genuine chance of beating one of the world's leading teams. So where were the fans?
Granted, Peter "Two Metre" Fulton isn't exactly a scintillating entertainer. And, praiseworthy as his maiden international century was at the age of 34, the proceedings dragged the longer his innings progressed. But that is one of the beauties of the Test circuit: it offers twists, turns and transformations, but also periods where little happens and excitement is replaced with attritional periods of retrenchment.

Sadly, though, the thousands of empty seats at Eden Park - and the similar sorry sight of semi-deserted venues in South Africa, currently ranked No 1 in the ICC rankings - suggests many cricket aficionados don't want to wait for tension to build up or drama to unfold over a protracted time. They seek instant thrills, crash-bang action and have no appetite for slow-burning fare.

To some extent, the authorities have created this rod for their own backs by talking up Twenty20 and encouraging the development of the IPL, BPL, Big Bash and no end of other global tournaments which are the sporting equivalent of fast food. When so much attention is focused on one format and when even many commentators are bemoaning the alleged sterility of 50-over ODIs, is it any wonder that many paying customers are restricting their interest to pyjama contests?

But the consequences will be grievous if the present trend continues downwards. Tests, after all, should be the ultimate challenge, the critique by which the great are distinguished from the good over four or five days. But, on recent evidence, the younger generation doesn't want to know. And while the grounds will be at full capacity in this summer's Ashes battle - regardless of how it threatens to be one of the most one-sided jousts since the Waugh machine was at their prime - that will be the exception to the general rule.

Watching England rally in Auckland, even as a blizzard raged outside in Aberdeen, two or three things struck me about the fashion in which Test organisers need to sharpen up their act. Firstly, the incessant faffing around by Alastair Cook in treating his field settings as if he was playing chess against a grand master, should have been stamped upon by the umpires and the skipper told to get his finger out. Sometimes, these elongated encounters can become parodies of themselves and the sedate, snail-like scenes throughout the second day would have deservedly earned louder derision from the fans if enough of the latter had paid their admission money.

Secondly, when Jonathan Trott was dismissed late in the day, and rather absurdly called for a review, which merely highlighted how plumb his LBW decision was, spectators were denied the opportunity to study the evidence for themselves. How many of them would have concluded: if we can stay at home and enjoy better coverage on our televisions, why should we spend hours, and considerable financial outlay, to be left in the dark by administrators?

If I was a betting man, I would wager that Tests won't exist in their current format a decade hence. Five days of 90 overs is too often wrapped up prematurely and I believe the ICC will reduce these matches to four days of 100 overs, with floodlights brought into the equation.

What seems pretty clear is that the structure won't survive without some major tweaks and less emphasis on quick thrills. The Ashes has history and tradition in spades and there is no danger of unsold tickets when or if India meet Pakistan in the Test milieu in the future. But even I couldn't be bothered to persist with watching the Windies batter and bewilder hapless Zimbabwe in the Caribbean last week and too many of these recent series - involving the likes of New Zealand, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka - are being staged in auditoriums where Shergar and Lord Lucan could be sitting in the stand and nobody would notice them, because there is nobody there.

It is a pressing concern for the panjandrums. And a pivotal priority for those who oversee the game. Ultimately, Twenty20 has a place on the calendar and we can't pretend it isn't compelling. But Tests should remain the Crown Jewels. If they don't, we should all be concerned.