 Will IPL sound a death knell for Test and ODI cricket?
4th Jun 2008 23:00 IST
Agencies
Will the stupendous success of the Indian Premier League sound the death knell for Test and one-day cricket?
Players are sharply divided on whether the game's shortest version will usurp the popularity of the other two formats but are unanimous in saying that twenty20, no matter how popular it becomes, can never match five-day cricket's charm.
As the IPL seeks a window in the ICC calendar to ensure that all the international players can be a part of it in future editions, concerns are also mounting as to what this would mean for Tests and one-dayers.
While legends like Imran Khan and Wasim Akram fear that fans will abandon Tests for Twenty20 due to tournaments like IPL, others like Martin Crowe and Sachin Tendulkar feel the game will become globalised if the shortest format is promoted.
"IPL is a spectacle...it could mean the death of Test cricket," said a concerned Imran Khan, who has been against the very idea of Twenty20.
Akram, almost echoing his former captain's sentiments, fears players will take early retirements to earn some quick money in tournaments like IPL.
However, he feels the Test cricket would weather the temporary storm as it has sound foundations but cautions that one-dayers may not.
"I fear the IPL can be a serious distraction and destruction if the ICC doesn't intervene because it involves huge money and players are ready to abandon international cricket", Akram said.
"Test cricket will stay but I think the ICC will have to find some ways to keep the 50-over interest alive," he said.
continued.. |
