With T20 cricket getting popular and stronger with every passing day, discarded England batsman Kevin Pietersen has urged the International Cricket Council (ICC) to act for the betterment of Test cricket before it gets too late.

The huge money and glamour involved in the shortest format of the game has convinced several quarters that the meteoric rise of T20 is a major threat to the longest format of the game. And they are bound to get worried with the amount few players were bought for by the franchises in the recently concluded auction for upcoming season of the Indian Premier League.

England duo Ben Stokes and Tymal Mills were bought for INR 14.5 Crore and 12 Crore by Rising Pune Supergiants and Royal Challengers Bangalore respectively.

Expressing his surprise over the lucrative deals his compatriots earned, Pietersen said it was another slap in Test cricket’s face. His comment was clearly for fast-bowler Mills, who only plays Twenty20 cricket because of back pain.

“Another SLAP in Test crickets face yesterday. A T20 specialist becomes one of the current England team’s richest players,” said Pietersen on Twitter.

Pietersen, whose last appearance for the Three Lions came way back in 2014 before he was sacked by them, has become a T20 specialist since then. One of the most popular faces in the world of T20 leagues, the South Africa-born cricketer has plied his trade in Australia, India, South Africa, the West Indies and in the Pakistani T20 tournament held in the UAE.

“I embraced [T20] eight years ago and it’s what caused me my P45,” said the 36-year-old.

“I absolutely love how all these youngsters are now benefiting.

“I love how T20 is growing the game. I’m just saying that Tests are falling way behind at the moment. The ICC [International Cricket Council] needs to act and quick,” he concluded.