Virat Kohli expresses displeasure at ECB's 100-ball concept

Indian captain Virat Kohli has expressed his displeasure at ECB's new 100-ball concept, stating that he won't be part of 'one more format'.

The 29-year-old, while speaking to Wisden Cricket Monthly, also stated that the game was losing out on quality due to 'commercial aspects' and it is getting 'very demanding' to play so much cricket regularly.

Kohli, captain of the Indian team in all three formats, is also the skipper of the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL, and while the T20 league takes a month and a half out of the schedule, he confessed that he loves playing it.

“I love playing the IPL, I love watching the BBL because you are working towards something, competing against high-quality sides and it gets your competitive juices flowing."

"That’s what you want as a cricketer. I am all for the leagues, but not to experiment.”

The 100-ball concept, ECB's idea of a city-based competition that will see 100-balls-a-side, was shot down by Kohli, who insisted that he won't be part of a World XI that launches the proposed new format.

"Honestly, I don't want to be a testing sort of a cricketer for any new format," he said.

While commenting on the importance of first-class cricket, and further on the World Test Championship, Kohli said that the rise of T20s warrants cricket board around the world to treat 'first-class cricket really well'.

"If you're not going to give more importance to first-class cricket, then people are going to lose motivation to play the longest format of the game. And with the T20 format coming in I think there's far greater responsibility on all the cricket boards across the world to treat first-class cricket really well, because if the facilities and the standard goes up, then the motivation always stays," he said.