Former Indian cricketer Javagal Srinath encouraged young cricketers to prefer Test cricket over the money and glamor of IPL and T20 cricket if they wanted to play cricket professionally for a long time. Srinath referred to Test cricket as the "mother of all cricket" and urged new players to take the format more seriously, claiming that playing T20s is simple for someone who can play the lengthier format.

“IPL is important, but you need depth in cricket, which is there in Tests. Test cricket is a five-day format, which is why it is called the 'mother of all cricket.' A player who plays Test cricket can also find it easier to play T20 cricket, but for someone who only plays T20 cricket, playing Test cricket is not as easy. Stick to Test cricket, the longer version of the game. Alongside that, you can also play T20," Srinath said during the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Awards (MPCA) in Indore on Thursday.

Srinath added that it is normal for young people to be drawn to the IPL because of all the money and glamor involved, but if a player wants to play continuously for 15 years, they must play Test cricket because they may be rotated in T20s.

"It is natural (to get attracted to the IPL). There is more glamour in all of it. Parents, state associations, coaches, etc. should guide their children regarding their cricket. If you want to make it a profession for 15 years, you have to take tests. You get rotated really quickly in T20s," he said.

Javagal Srinath was India’s leading pace bowler in the 90s and took 236 wickets in 67 Tests and 315 wickets in 229 ODIs from 1991 to 2003.

(ANI inputs)