Shastri says T20s are not for bilateral series

New Delhi, June 1: Former India coach Ravi Shastri reckons that T20 format is not meant for bilateral series between international teams and the slam-bang style of cricket should be restricted to just World Cup.

Shastri, one of the most successful India coaches, also feels that franchise cricket together with a biennial T20 World Cup is best way forward when it comes to shortest format, considering fans’ appetite for it.

Shastri’s comments have come, days before India’s five-mach T20 series against South Africa.

“...there’s too much of bilateral stuff going on in T20 cricket. I’ve said that (before), even when I was the coach of India, I could see it happening in front of my eyes,” Shastri told ESPNcricinfo.

“It should go the football way, where, in T20 cricket, you just play the World Cup. Bilateral tournaments — no one remembers,” he added.

Shastri, whose tenure as India coach ended last year, said he doesn’t “remember a single (T20) game in the last six-seven years as coach of India, barring the World Cup.”

“A team wins the World Cup, they will remember it. Unfortunately, we didn’t, so I don’t remember that either. Where I am coming from is: you play franchise cricket around the globe; each country is allowed to have their franchise cricket, which is their domestic cricket, and then, every two years, you come and play a World Cup,” he said.

The IPL media and broadcasting rights for the next five-year cycle are going to go up for sale in June.

Discussing the future of IPL, former India opener Akash Chopra said: “I actually foresee there might be two editions of the IPL in every calendar year. And that’s not too far away.”

Shastri agreed with Chopra. “That’s the future,” he said.