Former Zimbabwe batsman Andy Flower believes the International Cricket Council (ICC) needs to act in finding an ideal balance between top-level cricket and the flourishing domestic T20 leagues.
Flower said this task, if not already strenuous, will get tougher with time as member nations put time and energy into ensuring their leagues grow financially and do that at the cost of the international calendar.
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Flower, who is currently in UAE as an assistant coach for Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) ahead of the latest edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), said it's extremely important that big names like Virat Kohli continue talking up Test cricket.
“It is a serious challenge for the ICC to make a fine balance between viable international cricket and the burgeoning franchise world. That is going to be interesting to watch over the coming decade," Flower told PTI.
"I still think there is huge interest, primarily in three nations (India, England, Australia), in Test cricket. We have had two good series in England without spectators, as a TV product, the five-day format offers a lot to the broadcaster."
"There is also interest among players to play Test cricket. The ICC has to manage all of that wisely," he added.
Flower remains optimistic that there can be a right balance found to still keep the primacy of international game going while T20 leagues enjoy rapid growth.
“My personal opinion is that there is space and time and interest in all three formats to make them viable and successful. Players like Kohli talking up the Test game is a very important part of it," said the man, who coached England to historic Test series wins in Australia and India.
“I am sure he said that from a genuine perspective and realisation that it is the most difficult challenge for a professional cricketer. That recognition is nice to hear."
Flower, though, isn't oblivious to the positives of the leagues mushroomed across the world in IPL's mould for players and even coaches.
"Coaching is a fairly new profession in cricket. There might have been the odd coach, who were called the managers back in the 80s."
"Then, in the 90s, coaching started developing into something more serious, and now with the expansion of franchise based tournaments around the world, it has given broader scope of opportunities for coaches to earn a living and broaden their experiences."
“I started coaching when I was in my early 20s and even when I was playing for Zimbabwe, initially we weren't paid as players, we (including Grand Flower, Alistair Campbell and David Houghton) were paid as coaches."
“What I have learnt as a coach is to put the person first, ahead of the player, ahead of the competitor and work with that person. I have learnt that through making mistakes along the way."
“The most important thing is dealing with the person but data has also become a prominent part of evaluating the game."
Flower couldn't join the KXIP camp from the start of the preparations as he was busy with his commitments in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL). The 52-year-old thinks living in the bio-secure bubble in which the IPL 2020 will be held is going to pose a mental challenge for both players and coaches.
“It is a mental challenge for everyone (in the bubble). Some people will deal with comfortably, some won”t. As a leadership group, it is important to recognise those challenges and the different ways in which individuals will respond."
“You got to make sure the lines of communications are always open to so that people can talk about how they are feeling and there are outlets for them to discuss their issues, just making sure that we are placing priority on people's well being," Flower concluded.
