The English might have been the pioneers of T20 cricket, but they have done little to maintain the format. A classic instance of that has been the way their domestic T20 competition functions. England’s domestic T20 structure is pretty outdated and lacks the spice which is present in numerous T20 leagues such as the IPL, BBL. As a consequence of that, the Natwest T20 Blast has lagged behind other T20 leagues.
T20 stars Shahid Afridi and Darren Sammy recently criticized the format of the Natwest T20 Blast and called for improvements. Afridi and Sammy both have been sought after icons in T20 cricket and their views indeed reflect the true story.
“England is my second home, I always enjoy my cricket here,” said Shahid Afridi. “But I’ve already talked to a few officials, that we should organise it and finish it in a month. It’s not easy playing one game then a four-day game then another T20, but as a professional cricketer, you can adjust yourself.”
West Indies T20 skipper Darren Sammy too echoed the same point, saying that the tournament was extended needlessly. “It’s a difficult tournament, at least three months, it’s long,” Sammy said. “It can be frustrating playing one or two games every weekend. It’s Twenty20, you’ve got to be playing it fast.” “I want my six-pack again,” he added. “I am probably going to have a set schedule to do some gym. Most of the time the first team is away during the week, so I’ll get some training in with the second team. I’ll probably visit London with my family, and get some net practice in.”
Sammy though, praised England’s players for their good show in T20 cricket. “Joe Root is a world-class player, Ben stokes, Jos Buttler – they’ve come through playing T20 in England. The standard is good so I wasn’t surprised to see England play well. They’ve won a World Cup before and I know they don’t play much around the world, so whatever T20 they are playing here, it’s about high standards. That’s why they are making it to finals of world tournaments.”