PTI
New Delhi, Jun 3: Will the stupendous success of the Indian Premier League sound the death knell for test and one-day cricket?
Players are sharply divided on whether the game's shortest version will unsurp the popularity of the other two formats but are unanimous in saying that Twenty20, no matter how popular it becomes, can never match five-day cricket's charm.
As the IPL seeks a window in the ICC calender to ensure that all the international players can be a part of it in future editions, concerns are also mounting as to what this would mean for tests and one-dayers.
While legends like Imran Khan and Wasim Akram fear that fans will abandon tests for Twenty20 due to tournaments like IPL, others like Martin Crowe and Sachin Tendulkar feel the game will become globalised if the shortest format is promoted.
“IPL is a spectacle...It could mean the death of test cricket,” said a concerned Imran Khan, who has been against the very idea of Twenty20. Akram, almost echoing his former captain's sentiments, fears players will take early retirements to earn some quick money in tournaments like IPL.
However, he feels the test cricket would weather the temporary storm as it has sound foundations but cautions that one-dayers may not.
“I fear the IPL can be a serious distraction and destruction if the ICC doesn't intervene because it involves huge money and players are ready to abandon international cricket”, Akram said.
“Test cricket will stay but I think the ICC will have to find some ways to keep the 50-over interest alive,” he said.
But not all are so concerned about the fate of other formats in the wake of the IPL storm. Former test player S Venkataraghavan says although Twenty20 is a runaway hit, tests will never die as a cricketer's very foundation of success is laid in the longer version.
“Twenty20 is a runaway success and it has got to stay now but test cricket is ultimate. (however) Twenty20 will go on well, it has come to stay. Hats off to the organisers and it was a success in every respect, it has definitely kindled the enthusiasm of families because it is held in convenient time,” he told PTI.
Former test captain Ajit Wadekar and Chennai Super Kings brand ambassador Kris Srikkanth feel instead of harming test cricket, Twenty20 might just end up doing a favour to it by making it more result oriented and entertaining for crowds.
“Twenty20 is a great success and could result in test matches getting over in three days. This definitely is a benefit as test matches will become result oriented,” Wadekar explained.
“It would also influence other formats of the game. Most affected will be one-day cricket since people will feel bored in the middle overs. There will not be any cheerleaders as well!” he quipped.
“Tests are a separate entity. It will never get eroded with introduction of different formats in the game. Only thing that I visualise could happen is test cricket will also get more result oriented,” opined Srikkanth.
Wadekar also said test cricket need not worry about the massive popularity of Twenty20 as it has a certain audience which will never abandon it no matter what.
“Test cricket will definitely survive as it has history behind it and has its own status and charm. The uncertainty of pitch behaviour has been the most important aspect of test cricket,” he pointed out.
Former New Zealand test star Martin Crowe also felt the IPL would do more good then harm as it would help international players come together and create better understanding of each other.
“... You are seeing real international players mixing with domestic players and it gets us all pretty excited. It will certainly be here for a long time, it is only going to get bigger and grow and we have already seen noises,” he said.
Sachin Tendulkar has also stated that all three formats of the game can exist in harmony.
“Test cricket is there and then they started one-day cricket many years ago and one-day cricket has been a tremendous success and if the game is gonna get globalised in the form of IPL, then why not? it's better for cricket,” he said in a recent interview.
But others like former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming fear ODIs will fade out of public imagination as Twenty20 fever spreads.
“I am worried about the amount of one-day cricket, how much appeal one-day cricket is going to have with tournaments like this. I think the majority feels that it could cause a problem for the international calendar,” he said.