"I would be a little careful of the number" - Ravi Shastri calls for fewer bilateral T20Is amid scheduling concerns
Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri has called for a reduction in the number of T20 bilateral series amid the administrators' struggles with scheduling. Instead, Shastri believes the shortest format should be more prevalent in franchise cricket.
According to the ICC FTP schedule for 2023-2027, teams are likely to play more T20 internationals in that period as it results in massive commercial benefits. The schedule reportedly includes 15 series of five T20Is, of which nine feature India.
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Speaking on the Telegraph Sport's Vaughany and Tuffers podcast, Shastri felt the administrators have to be careful of slotting in too many T20Is in the calendar. He said:
"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."
The spotlight on the scheduling of games has now increased following the retirement of England's Ben Stokes. The 31-year-old gun all-rounder quit the 50-over format for England, citing the 'unsustainable' workload of playing in all three forms.
The decision came after South Africa pulled out of their three-match ODI series against Australia as the CSA wants the players to be available for their new domestic T20 competition.
I think two tiers are needed, otherwise Test cricket will die in 10 years' time: Ravi Shastri
The 60-year-old also conceded that Test cricket needs a divisional system to survive and that it will be friendly for the other formats, too. Shastri explained:
"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."
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Meanwhile, the former Indian all-rounder has returned to commentary after resigning as the national team coach. He had a successful stint with the side as India dominated Test cricket for a large part of his tenure.