Pakistan’s isolation is major problem for world cricket: Ian Chappell

Former Australia captain believes the advent of too many T20 leagues has changed cricket into something else

Former Australian captain Ian Chappell believes it will be difficult for Pakistan to attract major teams for a tour to the country in the near future and that poses a big threat to the world of cricket as the Asian powerhouse won’t be able to produce inspired young players.

“They are going to struggle to get the major teams coming to Pakistan,” said Chappell, in his show ‘Chappelli calls it’ for ESPNcricinfo.

“It’s a major problem for world cricket because it has become difficult for Pakistan to produce young cricketers. It’s ok to watch cricket on television but I am sure you really need to foster the game. You need to have game where people can go to at the ground. The fathers takes the kids to the ground, the kids get a hero and idol and they want to follow them. So I see that is a major problem for Pakistan cricket.”

T20 changing into something else than cricket

The 71-year-old former top-order batsman also talked about the growing trend of the lucrative Twenty20 leagues, with the Pakistan Super League recently added to the list, saying that they pose some major concerns for the game.

“There are a number of problems with all these leagues around the world. Firstly, they are not going to hold all of them at the same time so that means they are going to take a lot of the cricket calendar,” said Chappell.

“Secondly, all of these leagues are competing for the same star players: the Pietersens, the Gayles. I can understand all the countries want a league of their own because it’s another income stream but I disagree that the game of cricket can survive on T20 only. So, yes, I have got some major concerns. Eventually, it will be only T20 and the other two formats will suffer and it is going to be a problem, a mistake.”

Chappell also spoke about the entertainment factor in the T20s and questioned that what will happen when people get fed up of the T20s.

“People have only so many dollars to spend on entertainment. And if they spend it all on T20s that means the other two formats are going to suffer,” explained Chappell.

“The simple question from me is what if people think there is a problem with the T20? Where are we going then? Are we going to go with a five-over game then?,” he questioned.

“The weight is shifting towards entertainment rather than cricket when it comes to T20s. I have come at a point to think that they should start considering to call it something else than cricket. It has started to get to that point that it is not looking like cricket, it is like baseball where one throws the ball and the batsman has to just hit it out of the park.”