MCC fears for future of Test cricket
london — Former England captain Mike Brearley and former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum have warned of “a looming potential crisis” in international cricket and stated the game could soon reach a “point of no return” as it struggles to compete with Twenty20 leagues across the world.
Brearley, in his final meeting as chairman of the MCC World Cricket Committee, warned that players “from countries lacking the funds to pay their top players well” will see those players “choose these domestic tournaments ahead of making themselves available for their countries”.
They led calls for a “rethinking of the distribution model in international cricket”, besides urging the ICC to build on their “conceptual plans” for a Test Match Championship.
“For international cricket to flourish, competitive levels need to be close and teams need to be able to field their best players. The committee is worried that with the spread of privately owned T20 leagues and the rapid increase in remuneration, more players from countries lacking the funds to pay their top players well will choose these domestic tournaments ahead of making themselves available for their countries,” Brearley was quoted as saying by ESPN-cricinfo.
“The more this happens, the greater the threat to international cricket, not only to Test cricket, but also to ODI and T20s. — PTI