adminHONG KONG. – Sri Lankan veteran Kumar Sangakkara has called for Test cricket to introduce a minimum match fee for all countries to stop young players ditching the long-form for lucrative Twenty20 leagues.
Sangakkara, the fifth-highest run scorer in the history of Test cricket, retired from the first-class game last year but has continued playing for domestic T20 franchises around the world, including in this week’s Hong Kong T20 Blitz.
The 40-year-old praised the shorter format for spreading the game’s popularity to new markets but warned that without change Test cricket could face a battle to remain relevant for young players and fans.
“T20 is the ideal format to introduce – you talk about the Americas, with China,” Sangakkara said yesterday.
“Since its inception it’s been a huge pillar of strength for world cricket. But there are a few negatives . . . a lot of young players taking up T20 instead of playing international cricket.” – AFP
Online Reporter