Can appoint Virat Kohli the spokesperson of red-ball cricket summit: Ian Chappell

Ian Chappell wrote a column on ESPNCricinfo stating that the players who are still interested in playing red ball cricket should organise a summit and discuss the future of the longest format of the game.

Former Australian captain Ian Chappell praised Virat Kohli for continuing to promote Test cricket. He believes that the advent of “The Hundred” exposes some of the flaws in the longest form of the game as players face problems regarding scheduling with their careers.

Chappell wrote, “For decades the best way for a player to progress from a schoolboy cricketer to an international one was along a straightforward path: play as many matches as possible at a young age, and when success is achieved at one level, it is time for promotion to a higher grade.”

He reckons that the inclusion of the Hundred to cricket’s variety of formats should be a cause of concern to the players because of the adverse effect the cumbersome schedule has on one of the game’s most essential aspects – player development.

Since the birth of T20 cricket around 15 years ago, more and more importance has been given to the 20-over format. Many cricketers across the globe have focused on their limited overs career and some have even stated publicly that they are white-ball specialists. Nations like West Indies are no longer considered a strong outfit in test cricket. However, their T20I team is arguably the most dangerous in the world.

In the last few years, cricketers like Corey Anderson, who have represented their nation in test cricket, have decided to focus solely on franchise cricket whilst announcing their retirement from their national team. White decisions like these can be made due to various reasons, it is evident that some cricketers are losing interest in test cricket and it is no longer seen as the pinnacle of a cricketer’s career.

Chappell also gave a solution to this growing issue. He said that instead of creating more formats, there needs to be a rationalisation in order to produce a blueprint for the game’s future.