“Franchise cricket can be encouraged”, Ravi Shastri calls for reduced bilateral T20Is amid talks of too much cricket

Shastri wants international T20Is to be restricted to World Cups.

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has come up with a radical suggestion, saying bilateral series between countries, especially T20Is, should be reduced keeping in mind the gruelling international calendar.

Shastri’s comment came in the wake of Ben Stokes’ sudden retirement from ODIs. The England all-rounder on Monday (July 18) called time on his 50-over career, citing that he was not being able to give his 100 percent to the team in ODIs and playing all three formats amid a busy schedule is "unsustainable" for him.

According to Shastri, international matches in the shortest format can be restricted to World Cups and franchise leagues should be encouraged.

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"I would be a little careful of the number of bilateral splits, especially in T20 cricket. There's a lot of franchise cricket which can be encouraged, whichever country it's in - India, West Indies, or Pakistan. You play less bilaterals and then you get together for the World Cups. So, the emphasis on ICC World Cup events becomes paramount. Then people look forward to them," Shastri said while speaking on Telegraph Sport's Vaughany and Tuffers Podcast.

Recently, it was reported that ICC’s Future Tours Programme (FTP) has been outlined bearing in mind the various T20 leagues across the globe. 

All major T20 tournaments organized by the top cricket boards have been given a window in the next FTP cycle from May 2023 to June 2027, with the Indian Premier League (IPL) set to have two-and-a-half-month space in the international calendar.

Shastri also expressed his concerns over the future of Test cricket, stating that the longest format might lose its relevance in a decade's time if the governing body doesn’t adopt the two-tier system moving forward.

"I think two tiers are needed, otherwise Test cricket will die in 10 years' time. You need six teams at the top, and then six teams in the second and then you qualify. And those top six play against each other more often because of the corridor you open up by having less bilateral T20 cricket and just franchise cricket. That's the way all formats of the game can survive," he opined.