T20 is the future, but boards should preserve Test and ODI formats: Chaminda Vaas

Colombo: Former Sri Lankan pacer Chaminda Vaas on Saturday urged the authorities to work towards keeping the Test and 50-over formats alive amid the growing preference for T20s and the onslaught of franchise-based leagues.

The International Cricket Council CEO Sanjog Gupta had recently remarked that the era of "randomly scheduled bilateral series has to come to an end", largely for context-driven competitions.

But the statement has raised concerns from some parts about the future of one-day cricket.


"I think in the future, most of the countries want to play T20s. T20 is the game for the future. But all the boards should realise that Test cricket and one-day cricket are the pioneers and they should preserve those two formats," Vaas told PTI.

Vaas, who has 400 ODI and 355 Test wickets in his kitty, urged the all the cricket boards to work together to find the two traditional formats alive.

"We need to have some sort of arrangement to keep the 50-over cricket alive. I'm sure it will get a lot of young cricketers to play either Test cricket or 50-over format.

"But especially when it comes to Test cricket, Test cricket is dying. All the boards should have a plan to keep Test cricket alive and give a lot of youngsters the exposure to that format because it is where your skill will be really tested," he said.

The 52-year-old former cricketer touched upon the drop in Sri Lanka's Test standards in the last decade as a case in point.

In the latest setback, the Island nation suffered a huge 165-run defeat to India in the first Test at Galle, once their fortress.

"We know India is a very good side, they can replace any player at any given point. They have been playing good cricket across Test, T20 and ODIs, and the BCCI has built some excellent infrastructure and taken care of their players.

"If you look at Galle, they played excellent Test cricket. They fielded three very good spinners and it was not easy to survive against them. Our guys gave a good fight. I'm sure that the second Test will be a more interesting one," he said.

But for Vaas, the defeat was a symbol of a deeper rot, which started with Sri Lanka playing significantly less Test cricket.

"Unfortunately, we don't get a lot of Test matches. The Sri Lankan cricket board should do something, try to get more Tests. You know, this two-match Test series does not really benefit the players, they need more red-ball matches at the highest level," he said.

Vaas also suggested a thorough overhaul of Sri Lankan domestic cricket.

"Well, we need to change our domestic cricket pattern. We have so many clubs, we need to encourage those clubs and try to play quality cricket and give the youngsters good exposure.

"I always believe that we need to play four-day cricket rather than three-day cricket and it gives some sort of experience for them to play Test cricket. We have enough talent in this country, but we need to shape them and get them to the next level.

"It's up to Sri Lanka Cricket. I'm sure they are trying their best with the new transformation committee. They are doing everything to bring this game up," he detailed.

Vaas also emphasised the need to identify the right talent that suits each format.

"There are players who can play all versions - Test cricket, one-day and T20. But some other players can only play white ball. So, we need to identify those players and even the players should realise which format they are going to play and be comfortable with.

"But for me, Test cricket is the real skill. You need to have that skill to play in the middle. So whatever the format they choose, they do the right thing and should focus on the basics," he said.

The Colombo man, who found some nagging lines with his left-arm fast medium, said the new crop of quicks have forgotten the art of swing.

"Yeah they don't really swing it much these days. Now, it is the age of power-hitting. But I think bowlers who can swing the ball add a lot of value to the team as they are genuine wicket-takers.

"They should not be worried about going for runs, as swing is an ability that can give you wickets at any stage of the game," he signed off.