Former Head Coach of Team India Ravi Shastri has suggested that bilateral T20 series between countries be played away and international matches of the shortest format be limited to biennial World Cups to create a greater opportunity for franchise leagues like the Indian Premier League (IPL). Shastri, who was India’s coach for the 2021 T20 World Cup, claimed that “nobody remembers” bilateral tournaments. He suggests that cricket goes the football route, where club-level competitions are more common and international matches largely take place in major tournaments like the World Cup.
He even said that in the future, there could be two IPL seasons in a year.
“Yes, absolutely, there’s too much bilateral stuff going on in T20 cricket,” Shastri said above ESPNcricinfo.
“I said that, even if I am the coach of India, I can see it happening right in front of my eyes. It’s going to be the way football, where, in T20 cricket, you just play World Cup. Bilateral tournaments – nobody remembers,” he said.
“I don’t remember a single game in the last six or seven years as a coach of the Indian national team, except for the World Cup. A World Cup winner team, they’ll remember that. Unfortunately, we didn’t. didn’t do that, so I don’t remember that,” Shastri said.
“Where I come in is: you play franchise cricket around the globe; each country is allowed to have their franchise cricket, it’s their domestic cricket, and then, every two years, you come and play a World Cup. Cup,” he explained.
Promote
“That’s the future. It could be tomorrow – 140 games, split into 70-70. In two seasons,” Shastri said of the proposal of two IPL seasons in one year.
“You never know. That’s how it’s going. That’s how it grows as a beast of an asset. And you can’t hide from that,” he said.
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