'Golden goose' a growing threat to Test cricket

3 years ago 294

Australian cricket fable Mark Taylor says the sport's governing bodies indispensable marque the longest signifier of the crippled much financially charismatic to guarantee players stay focused connected what is meant to beryllium the pinnacle.

Test cricket is the oldest and champion signifier of the sport, but it is nether menace from Twenty20 successful particular, which was introduced to pull caller fans to the athletics who did not person an appetite for the five-day contest.

But the accelerated maturation of the 20-over crippled successful the past decennary has abruptly made it the astir lucrative signifier of cricket, to the constituent immoderate nonrecreational players present absorption solely connected earning T20 contracts.

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The champion players tin gain millions of dollars for lone a fewer weeks' enactment successful the Indian Premier League, portion lone a fewer volition gain akin wealth for a afloat twelvemonth connected the Test tour.

The imaginable wealth earned for playing 1 hr of Test cricket pales successful examination to the net from an hr of Twenty20.

Taylor says the crippled is backwards.

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"I cognize that's thing that's been discussed present for a agelong time, rewarding and prioritising the (Test) crippled by making it much financially attractive," Taylor told Wide World of Sports.

"If you spell backmost to my time, determination was nary aureate goose Big Bash oregon IPL. The mode you made wealth playing cricket successful Australia was to beryllium a bully Test cricketer and past besides a bully one-day cricketer. But you truly had to unit yourself to beryllium a bully Test cricketer archetypal and foremost.

"We've seen successful caller times players go one-day specialists oregon white-ball specialisst, and that is going to hap much and more.

"To support attracting young players who travel through… to privation to play Test cricket, is going to beryllium much difficult."

Taylor's comments came successful effect to the sensational and sudden cancellation of past week's Test lucifer betwixt England and India.

Only a mates of hours earlier play was acceptable to start, India withdrew from the contention citing the hazard of COVID-19 to players and staff. A fig of India unit had returned affirmative tests to the virus, prompting the bonzer decision.

The Indian squad heads location wherever a fig of players volition hole to resume the Twenty20 IPL play aboriginal successful September, which was enactment connected clasp successful May.

Taylor hopes the determination to wantonness the Test was not made to prioritise India's home T20 tournament.

"I don't deliberation anyone would clasp immoderate benignant of grudge against the players not wanting to play a crippled erstwhile they've got genuine concerns astir COVID infection," helium said.

"I deliberation present we privation to spot immoderate consistency. Pulling retired of a Test lucifer is immense for the crippled of cricket, peculiarly an India series, it's a large series.

"When players marque a stance against that we each recognize that, we do, and we recognize that wellness comes first. But radical person to look aft the wellness of the game.

"It puts unit connected the crippled of Test cricket successful particular, and past you've got a crippled of T20, a home bid coming up that each those players privation to play. We've got to beryllium careful, the players person to beryllium cautious that they nonstop a accordant message.

"If akin things happened successful the IPL I would similar to spot akin enactment taken by the players."

Taylor pointed retired India and the BCCI person actively promoted Test cricket and made it a precedence up of the riches of the IPL.

"(India coach) Ravi Shastri and Virat Kohli (have) been large supporters and promoters of Test cricket successful caller times," Taylor said.

"I deliberation Virat has been fantabulous successful that regard, truly wanting to play Test cricket, prioritising the game. But the interest volition beryllium however agelong it continues for.

"There's nary uncertainty arsenic we each get older, and the caller generations travel through, this emotion that radical similar I person for Test cricket whitethorn diminish, and that's the interest for america older generation."

Australia has a large summertime up with England scheduled to question Down Under for the Ashes.

There remains conjecture implicit whether the Poms volition really alert to Australia fixed the planetary pandemic, but Taylor has fingers and toes crossed the bid tin spell up arsenic planned.

"I'd similar to deliberation if you look astatine Australia, travel December 8 erstwhile the archetypal Test is due, different mates of months from now, hopefully by past we've got our 70 per cent treble vaxxed complaint up close crossed Australia, oregon astatine slightest successful the bulk of states," Taylor said.

"I deliberation that successful itself should enactment anyone's caput astatine easiness successful regards to travelling present and Australia being a harmless country."

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