T20 cricket should take the football route and have more franchise cricket: Ravi Shastri

Ravi Shastri also opined that bilateral series between two teams should be cut down so that this time can be used by the players to rejuvenate themselves and play Test match cricket.

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Ravi Shastri
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Ravi Shastri. (Photo by Adam Davy/PA Images via Getty Images

Team India’s Head coach and former Indian cricketer Ravi Shastri reckons that it is time for cricket to emulate football and have more league cricket going on, rather than bilateral series.

Adding that the teams play only major tournaments like the World Cup, the Euro Cup or the Copa America as far as international matches in football are concerned, Shastri opined that this is the route even T20 cricket should take as well.

Shastri even wants cricket to be played in the Olympics, and also opined that bilateral series between two teams should be cut down so that this time can be used by the players to rejuvenate themselves and play Test match cricket.

“I would like to see less and less bilateral T20 cricket. Look at football. You have the Premier League, the Spanish league, the Italian league, the German league. They all come together [for the Champions League]. There are few bilateral football [friendlies] now.

The national teams only play for the World Cup or World Cup qualifying [and other major tournaments like the European Championships, Copa America, and the Africa Cup of Nations]. I think that’s the way T20 cricket should go. Spread the game in different countries, and take it to the Olympics. But cut down on those bilateral games and give time for the players to rest, recuperate and play Test cricket,” said Shastri while speaking to The Guardian.

Ravi Shastri questions the importance of bilateral series

Speaking further on bilateral series, Ravi Shastri stated that while franchise cricket is working, bilateral series are losing their relevance. Stating that he does not even remember a single white ball match in his tenure as the Head Coach, Shastri concluded by stating that he remembers India’s historic triumphs against Australia and England in Test match cricket.

“There is enough franchised cricket. That is working. But what is the point of bilateral? In my seven years with this Indian team, I don’t remember one white-ball game. If you win a World Cup final you will remember it and that’s the only thing left for me as a coach. Otherwise, you bloody cleaned up everything across the globe. I don’t remember a single [white-ball] game. Test matches?

I remember every ball. Everything. But the volume is too much. We beat Australia 3-0 in the T20 series. We beat New Zealand 5-0 in New Zealand. Who cares? But beating Australia in two-Test series in Australia? Winning Tests in England? I remember that,” concluded Shastri.

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