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Roy Dias says Test and ODI cricket stay relevant despite T20 boom
Former Sri Lankan batter and coach Roy Dias has said Test and ODI cricket remain relevant despite the rise of T20 leagues. He told PTI that young players must build a strong…
Former Sri Lankan batter and coach Roy Dias has said Test and ODI cricket remain relevant despite the rise of T20 leagues. He told PTI that young players must build a strong technical base in longer formats to succeed across all three versions of the game.
Dias said T20 was here to stay but required a different approach, as it was played over three-and-a-half hours with a maximum of four overs per bowler. He advised batters to get their basics right in longer formats, warning that training only for T20 would make it hard to adapt to longer games.
He said Test cricket was still the best format to test skill against bowlers and conditions. He added that the art of playing spin had declined, recalling advice from Sir Gary Sobers to play late and use soft hands.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Dias is one of several former internationals who argue Test cricket is under pressure from mushrooming T20 leagues worldwide. The International Cricket Council (ICC) reported that player workloads have doubled since the first T20 World Cup in 2007, with top cricketers playing an average of 40 matches a year across all formats. The coming cycle of bilateral series, including India's five-Test tour of England in 2025, will test whether broadcasters and broadcast rights holders still commit premium revenue to the longest format. Sri Lanka Cricket, facing a financial crunch, has reduced its Test calendar to two series a year. The ICC's next commercial rights auction, due in 2027, will be the clearest signal of Test cricket's market value.
Source: rediff.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
