LEGENDARY batter, Ricky Ponting, is worried that the One-Day cricket could slowly lose its place in an increasingly choc-a-bloc calendar, with T20 Internationals and franchise leagues continuing their expansion across the globe.
Ponting fears ODI cricket will be played “less and less” in the coming years as more T20 leagues emerge, even though he remains convinced that Test cricket will continue to thrive as long as major cricketing nations remain invested in it.
“As the months go by and the years go by and more and more T20 cricket is being played and more franchises and franchise tournaments are starting around the world, it’s more and more likely that 50-over cricket is probably going to be played less. It’s inevitable, which I’m not a huge fan of, to be honest,” Ponting told PTI in an exclusive interaction.
Ponting, who scored 13,704 runs in ODIs, feels ‘Big Four’ including South Africa, India, Australia and England will keep Test cricket in a healthy state.
“I love playing that format of the game, but something’s got to give somewhere. Test cricket is still going to remain strong as long as India, Australia, England and probably South Africa want Test cricket to remain strong. It will. So something’s got to give. And the obvious one is 50-over cricket,” he said.
Asked about the proliferation of T20 leagues and whether there could eventually be too much cricket for players, Ponting acknowledged that the calendar will inevitably have to make room for the growing number of franchise competitions. (NDTV Sports)