‘LIMIT IPL FOR STOKES & CO’
IT’S time to find out who really wants to continue playing Test cricket for England.
And the best way of doing that is by slapping a three-week limit on involvement in the Indian Premier League for those players who have central contracts.
That’s the view of Dimitri Mascarenhas, the first English player ever to get snapped up by an IPL franchise, back in 2008.
Now living in Australia, former
England all-rounder Mascarenhas (below), 44, watched on in despair as Joe Root’s side were humiliated in the Ashes.
And despite being a huge fan of the IPL, he believes that the time has come for the ECB to make a stand – and for the players to put all their efforts into resurrecting England’s Test fortunes.
Mascarenhas said: “I’ve changed my mind on this as a result of how that red-ball team are performing. Especially when you look at the likes of Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes and the amount of firstclass cricket they actually play.
“Outside of the Tests they don’t play enough – in fact they don’t play any.
“If you’ve got a Test contract you should be going to the IPL for a shorter period, two or three weeks, that’s plenty.
“Someone has to draw the line and say, ‘This is how it’s going to be’. You have to prioritise firstclass cricket. You can’t just come straight out of IPL into Test cricket and expect to be amazing at it.”
The ex-Hampshire man believes that Test cricket’s very future may well depend on boards taking a stronger stance on the issue.
“You need England to be one of the top teams in the world, or Test cricket could die,” he added.
“If crowds in England stop going you’re left with Australia and India and little else. You can’t have that.”