Former India coach Ravi Shastri has claimed that gamers will begin selecting which codecs they need to play and recommended that Hardik Pandya might stroll away from ODI cricket after the 2023 World Cup.
The retirement of Ben Stokes from the 50-overs format has introduced the highlight on the worldwide schedule and cricketers proceed to play all three types of the sport regularly.
Shastri, who’s presently working as a pundit for Sky Sports, weighed in on the matter saying that cricketers might begin to decide on the codecs they need to play in and cited the instance of Pandya. He stated that the all-rounder desires to play T20 cricket and may be very clear in his thoughts about that side.
“50-over format might be pushed back but it can still survive if you focus just on the World Cup. From the ICC’s point of view, paramount importance should be given to World Cups, whether it is T20 World Cup or 50-over World Cup, the bucks have to increase. Test cricket will always remain because of the importance it brings to the game. You have players already choosing what formats they want to play. Take a Hardik Pandya. He wants to play T20 cricket and he is very clear in his mind that ‘I do not want to play anything else,” stated Shastri.
The former India coach additionally recommended that Pandya might determine to stroll away from ODIs after subsequent 12 months’s World Cup.
“He will play the 50-over cricket because there is a World Cup in India next year. After that, you might see him going from that as well. You will see a similar thing happening with other players, they will start choosing formats, they have every right to,” stated Shastri.
Shastri additionally weighed in on the controversy between worldwide and franchise cricket and stated that the primary problem is the truth in the mean time that the latter is ruling the roost. He recommended that directors must lower the quantity of worldwide cricket.
“The main issue that we have to look at right now is the reality, what is happening right now. There are things that are being said by former players, someone like me, 5-10 years ago, that is already happening. If you are not going to see the reality, then it is going to give you the biggest knockout punch that you have ever got. It is not just administrators who run the world game, but administrations who run different boards around the world, they have got to see the reality, the volume of cricket and what is the demand, go with the economics of the sport.”
“It is franchise cricket that is ruling the roost and it will rule the roost. So do not wait for it to happen, then you get on your high horse and ask what should we do? It would be too late, it is going to happen, there is going to be franchise cricket that is going to rule the roost around the world. Then how will you have international cricket? You will have to cut the volume, you have to cut bilateral cricket, and go in that direction. You will never be able to stop different players going and playing for different franchises,” stated Shastri.
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