Despite the growing popularity of leagues, former New Zealand batsman Ross Taylor believes international cricket may still reach its peak. He does not see the sport adopting a football model where players play primarily for their particular teams rather than their countries.
Cricket leagues have gained a lot of notoriety since the Indian Premier League (IPL) debuted in 2008, and some players now give these leagues priority when choosing their teams. Ross Taylor believes that the leagues are to blame for the decline of international cricket, having participated in over 100 matches across all formats for New Zealand.
“I believe the next five to ten years will be exciting from an international perspective. The international game is perhaps suffering as a result of the several leagues that are springing up throughout the globe.
On the 180 Not Out podcast, Ross Taylor stated, “I believe we are at a crossroads.”
“I hope that international cricket remains the ultimate sport and that we do not adopt a football model in which you play international matches after representing your franchise. I hope that the franchise model comes after international cricket. Although I think international cricket is fantastic, I’m sure the administrators will have their hands full as technology advances. However, as we sit here conducting interviews, we have no idea where we will end up,” he continued.
Kevin Pietersen, a former cricketer for England who also graced the show, believes that cricket is going through a midlife crisis. He gave an explanation of his reasoning as well.
“I believe cricket is going through a midlife crisis. Players are beginning to waver between formats, which leads me to believe that they should only play one. Right now, cricket is being played in a lot of locations. What bothers me is that Australia defeated India in Ahmedabad last weekend, yet the Indian headlines now proclaim, ‘Our retribution against Australia’. It moves so quickly,” Kevin Pietersen remarked.
“This doesn’t add up for me. It should be possible for you to both enjoy and win a world cup. Playing after a few days? It is not consistent. Right now, England is playing in the Caribbean. They are now playing after an awful World Cup. It’s probably time for a midlife crisis, he continued.
over the longest format of the game, the former England captain voiced his worries over Test cricket.
“Test cricket is what worries and fears me. I hope that Test cricket endures among the major countries. Here, in just one month, is a major marquee series between India and England. Wonderful. The Rubble. Wonderful. SA versus India. Wonderful. India vs Pakistan is big, it breaks TV stations if the politics work. India vs. Australia is a major match for the Border-Gavaskar trophy. I sincerely hope that the renowned [Test] series survives and flourishes. But cricket is so prevalent these days. So much “Pietersen concluded.
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