| Australia’s captain Ricky Ponting says test cricket is under threat by the commercialization of the sport by the Indian Premier League, the Indian Cricket League and other emerging Twenty20 tournaments.
“We cannot afford to lose teams such as New Zealand and the West Indies from international cricket, but my fear is that this could happen if the game cannot strike a balance between tests and the IPL’s riches,” Ponting says.
Bangladesh’s national team is reeling from the resignation of 14 players to play in the ICL. Zimbabwe’s team is also struggling and Sri Lanka’s leading players are being forced to choose between a national tour of England or playing in the IPL. In the Caribbean, the Stanford Super Series, bankrolled by Texan billionaire Allen Stanford, offers 11 West Indian players $1 million each for winning a one-off match against England annually. |
