Bilateral cricket will suffer at expense of growing T20 leagues around the world, say former legends

With the introduction of the T20 format, one thing has happened for sure – bilateral cricket suffered. Moreover, with the addition of franchise-based T20 leagues around the world, this idea of the 50-over format dying a slow death is becoming a reality. Former legends of the game - India’s Ravi Shastri and Australia’s Tom Moody echoed the same concern.

Both feel the expansion of the T20 format and IPL, in particular, will influence players, which will be to such an extent that they will sign long-term contracts that will see them playing for multiple leagues. Earlier, even FICA confirmed that several informal conversations between unnamed players and franchises took place over the same.

Speaking on ESPNcricinfo’s Runorder, Moody, who had coached IPL franchise SunRisers Hyderabad in the past, feels with IPL owners buying stakes and teams in different leagues, their footprint is growing, and they will influence the upcoming generation.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

ALSO READ:Australia set to tour South Africa for 3 T20Is, 5 ODIs ahead of 2023 World Cup

"We have seen that slowly shift in the last couple of years when IPL teams look to buy other franchises around the world. The reason we start talking about this is because each IPL team is looking for a bigger footprint in the game. It might not be financially beneficial for them to be doing that, but they are looking at the long-term benefit of having a greater stake of the time in the calendar year," Moody told ESPNcricinfo.

Meanwhile, the ODI World Cup winner - Shastri opines that cricket is going the football way, and in times to come, players will get involved in franchise cricket throughout the year; and it would just be around the World Cup time when teams will release players, and they would assemble to play a few bilateral games.

"I have always said that the bilateral cricket will suffer, there is no question about that. With the leagues spreading around the world, it's going to go the football way. The teams will assemble just before the World Cup, they play a little bit of bilateral, clubs will release the players and you play the mega World Cup. So it's going to go that way in the long run whether you like it or not,” Shastri said.

Adding to this, Shastri said though he doesn’t feel bad about this change coming cricket’s way, he thinks in between all of this, the 50-over format is going to suffer the most.
Moody, while backing the claim, said the T10 format – which is still very new among a lot of fans, mostly the traditional ones could replace the 50-over format in times to come. He also said that only a handful of teams will continue to play Tests, with others trying to succeed in the shorter formats.

"That really tells me that there are only going to be few countries that are going to be playing Test cricket, as simple as that," Moody said. "Rest are going to focus on white-ball cricket, and I will add another format that may replace the 50-over cricket, and that may be T10. I see that as a potential, not a game-changer, but a movement towards the next step ahead for the IPL to consider if they want to expand what is an incredibly successful property," Moody further added.