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07/06/10 | Return | Print |

India to think of separating Tests and T20 teams

Cricket in India has become a highly successful commercial venture. The value of IPL, which started only there years ago, is now more than US$4 billion. As like any other commercial entity BCCI should start thinking about having separate teams for Tests and Twenty-20s. The game is vastly different and the viewers are far apart. While many Test cricket fans will continue to watch the Twenty-20 games it is not true the other way.

Cricket Australia has started thinking on those lines for a totally different reason. The Aussie Test players are simply not able to adapt to the shorter version. Two of their biggest stars of Test cricket, who are also the Captain and his deputy, have become a failure in the Twenty-20 games which forced Ponting to pull out of the version a year back after IPL dumped him in controversial circumstances. Michael Clarke’s batting failure recently at the World 20-20 tournament will definitely cost his place in the next series.

Also the decision by some of the other stars, like Tait and Nannes, to opt out of Test cricket for either money or for the body has forced CA to field specialised players in Twentt-20 games.

While in India the situation is very different with the fans dictating the changes. The money poured by the fans and commercial entities is demanding the specialisation of the game. While unlike Australia, many of the Test stars are adjusting to the Twenty-20 version successfully the game in future will demand high level of specialisation in all three departments, batting, bowling and fielding. Tendulkar and Dravid, particularly the former, adapted beautifully scoring lot of runs in IPL III. But it is their superior talent which overcame the age to play the shorter version.

India should start looking at identifying younger talent who are stronger and athletic fitting the requirements of this game. Suresh Raina is a classic case who fits the bill perfectly for the Twenty-20 version. He is strong, highly athletic who can bowl is a way to restrict the runs. When Greg Chappell identified him as the future batting star of India, he must have had in mind the gifted batting talent of Raina. But the continuous snub by the selectors must have persuaded Raina to adapt his game to the shorter version and became an overnight success at the IPL. His brilliant display in all three IPL editions has made him most sought after cricketer and he is sure to be one of the highest paid cricketers at the next auction.

BCCI will be forced to look into this as it provides a great opportunity to maximise the coffers like the IPL. The natural extension of having a separate Twenty-20 team is not only having a group of skilled and specialised players but it provides opportunity for BCCI to field two Indian teams at the same time. That involves more Television rights leading to more money in BCCI coffers. While Indian Test team may be playing in Australia 4 Tests over 3 months, the Twenty-20 team may be in South Africa laying a series of games at the same time.

This concept is bound to evolve and for right reasons it is inevitable. A talented Ranji Trophy player will get into the Test squad but he can literally forget playing T20 for his country. While an athletic and strong cricketer will become an entertainer and will be as popular as a Bollywood actor. In India this will literally sound a death knell for other sports like Football and Hockey where only the discards will go.