Rise of Twenty20 will mean the end for 50 over cricket
In an interview on Cricinfo, FICA chief executive Tim May has raised further concerns over the increasing workload on players with the success of the Indian Premier League and the conflict with the Future Tours Programme (FTP).
Increasingly, we hear about the bleak future of test cricket, with Chris Gayle’s recent comments being the most outspoken by a player so far. However, the amount of speculation tells us that people care enough about test cricket to do something to preserve it’s place in the game.
We do not hear the same concerns over the future of 50-over cricket. Whilst it may bring in more money than test cricket in most parts of the world, you won’t hear many people say “I prefer 50-over cricket”. This is because those who prefer to see big hits and plenty of quick runs along with some entertainment in between the action are better served by T20 already. Those who take more of a purists view already had a preference for test match cricket anyway.
This is where the ICC can make changes to find the correct balance between the formats and allow space for tournaments such as the IPL. A gradual phasing out of 50-over cricket will clear enough space in the calendar for an IPL-window, and a window for the Champions League if that should be successful.
This will likely become a fairly natural process anyway, as 50-over cricket will suffer a similar fate to that of 60 and 40-over cricket in the English domestic calendar. If the ICC World Twenty20 is successful, it will further reduce the influence of 50-over cricket, particularly as the last Cricket World Cup was a complete shambles.
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