West Indies skipper Jason Holder has supported Kevin Pietersen’s call for increased Test wages and believes ICC should do something to ensure that the current scenario of West Indies players choosing to be T20 freelancers instead of Test cricketers does not continue, reports ESPN Cricinfo.
Holder echoed the Englishman’s sentiment and admitted that there needs to be a better incentive for players to choose Tests (the most demanding format) over T20s (the most lucrative format).
“I think it's possibly a way to keep [Test cricket] alive," Holder said of Pietersen's idea. "Obviously, we’re in a situation where the money isn’t great for us at the moment and we’ve been in numerous battles for that but that's beyond our control at this present time.
“We’ve just got to play cricket. At the end of the day hopefully somewhere along the line, we can have an increasing pay and be paid a little bit better than at the moment.”
"I think we need to strike a balance," Holder said. "I'm not knocking T20 cricket because I love T20 cricket myself, but we just need to find a way where the country comes first and then we are flexible in terms of allowing people to make money outside of international cricket.
“I don't think we should be playing hard ball and deny people from going and playing, but there has to be a situation where we make international cricket our first priority.
“I think once we get to that stage the players will buy in. We've had so many issues that are beyond our control - some players have chosen to go this way [to T20], and others have chosen to stay. I just control what I control at the moment and that's just me playing cricket and trying to instil in the guys to play cricket to the best of their ability.”
Pietersen, who ic currently taking part in the Big Bash League 2015 with West Indian players such as Andre Russell, Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo, at the same as the Windies are touring Australia for a Test series, said ICC should encourage players to play Tests and make it economically viable.
"The ICC ... should say: 'Right, we need Gayle, we need even [Kieron] Pollard, we need [Darren] Sammy, we need Bravo, we need Andre Russell'," Pietersen had said. "Andre Russell is bowling at 150kph, whacking big sixes in the Big Bash. He should be doing that in a Test match, he shouldn't be doing it here.
"It's just a sad state of affairs that these guys here, who are star attractions all around the world and they command big numbers from T20 franchises, it's just sad they're not playing the longer form of the game.
“Test players should be paid a hell of a lot of money. That's the only way they're going to get the guys back playing. They should get paid so much more money than we get paid playing domestic tournaments."
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