T20 leagues vs International cricket: ICC asked to reduce pay gap to save Test cricket

What's the story?

In yet, another bid to save the sanctity of Test cricket, several former cricketers and legends of the game have asked the International Cricket Council to decrease the gap between the pay scale of the many Twenty20 leagues around the world and Test cricket.

"Domestic T20s around the world are giving players an easy out to not represent their country and are remunerated in a better way to play in those tournaments," former Australian captain Ricky Ponting said.

The heart of the matter

Ponting who was also accompanied by Kumar Sangakkara and Rod Marsh on a 16-person panel led by Mike Gatting and they discussed the future of Test cricket and how to ensure that the longest format does not go off the boil.

The former Australian captain also said that they were making sure that the remuneration offered in some of the lower rung cricket playing nations sees an exponential increase in order the keep the best players playing from them all across the year.

Ponting cited the examples of Australian and England cricketers and said that since these countries pay their players handsomely they do not come and play in the IPL over their national duties.

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West Indies cricket is struggling because several of their established stars choose to play in T20 leagues all over the world and his handicaps the national team which is only harming International cricket.

The issue of payments has long hogged the news all across the cricketing world and the ICC has received several petitions to do something about it in order to sell International cricket with a lot of intent.

What’s next?

Mike Gatting is hopeful that the ICC will now take a look at the proposal more keenly and offer support to the tier-2 and tier-3 cricket playing countries.

Star Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan also informed the ICC that youngsters from his nation are now viewing T20 leagues with more interest than playing for the country and one hopes the ICC steps in with a lot of purposes.

Author’s take

There is little doubt that Test cricket is not in pink health and with the sprouting of several leagues all around the world which is taking away huge chunks of audiences with it, the survival of the longest form of cricket is in question.

The ICC has to change its strategy and put in more focus to give more relevance to Tests and help cash-strapped nations by giving them financial aid which will only help players stick back and make International cricket a more viable product.