With the window for T20 leagues keeps getting longer, the bilateral series between international teams is likely to get squeezed going forward.
Last month, England’s ace all-rounder Ben Stokes called time on his 50-over career, citing that it was "unsustainable" for him to play all three formats amid a busy schedule.
Stokes’ premature retirement has raised serious question marks over the future of ODI cricket. In fact, experts including former cricketers also fear that the future of Test cricket is in danger as well with the rapid expansion of T20 leagues across the globe.
Amid the recent development, former India skipper Kapil Dev has urged the ICC to put in efforts to safeguard international cricket.
“I think it’s fading out. The ICC (International Cricket Council) has a bigger responsibility how to manage this game. It’s going the way as football in Europe. They don’t play against each country. It is once in four years (during the World Cup). Is this what we’re going to have, the World Cup and the rest of the time playing club (T20 franchise) cricket?"
“In a similar way, will cricketers eventually be playing mainly the IPL or the Big Bash or something like that? So the ICC have to put more time into that to see how they can ensure the survival of one-day cricket, Test match cricket, not only club cricket," Kapil was quoted as saying by The Sydney Morning Herald.
Recently, multiple IPL franchises made huge investments in the upcoming T20 leagues in South Africa and UAE.
Expressing his concerns, Kapil further said that international cricket could just be restricted to World Cups going forward.
“Club cricket is OK for a while. The Big Bash is OK. But the South African league is coming, the UAE league is coming. If all the countries are going to play the club cricket, then international cricket will be only for the World Cup."
(With IANS inputs)
