Veteran coach Tom Moody on Thursday said the players' performance in highly competitive leagues like IPL and ILT20 will carry extra weight this time because of the impact it can have on team selection ahead of the T20 World Cup. This edition of the marquee ICC event will be held jointly in the West Indies and the US in June and most of the teams, including India, have already completed their T20I assignments. “The IPL (played between March and May), along with any other T20 tournament like the ILT20, is important for every player to perform because every home team looks at the performance of all its players in these tournaments because of the high-quality cricket in these competitions,” Moody said during a virtual media interaction facilitated by the ILT20's Desert Vipers team.
Moody then described how these outings could help players secure a spot in the World Cup squads.
“Scoring runs, taking wickets and showing consistency will only put you in a good position as an individual when it comes to the final tough decisions around the selection table.
“It allows you to carry on with that kind of confidence and go into an important (T20) World Cup,” Moody added.
Even India head coach Rahul Dravid had recently expressed a similar opinion.
“We may not get many opportunities to play together, so we'll have to work around that. We'll obviously have the IPL, and you know, everyone will be watching closely to see how some of those guys are playing and what are the slots that we're using. I have to fill out the team,” Dravid had said after India's home T20I series against Afghanistan last month.
However, Moody was unaware of the challenge that a new destination like the USA could present to the teams, who might otherwise be familiar with the conditions in the West Indies.
“A lot of people have played in the Caribbean, but what will be presented in the US will be one of many different things.” The former Australian all-rounder said the teams and players will have to quickly adapt to a non-regular cricket venue like the US.
“Talking about world-class players, they have played in all kinds of conditions and situations. I believe that the top players and teams would adapt quite quickly, whether it is chasing a total of more than 200 or even low scoring players,” he calculated.
'Protect Test Cricket'
As the discussion focused on the future of Test cricket in a world of fast-growing T20 competitions, Moody said the International Cricket Council (ICC) would have to work with various boards to save the game's traditional format.
“It's a balance of both. These leagues are springing up all over the world for a reason because there is a demand for T20 cricket.” “But the ICC and the boards have to keep in mind that the delicate balance remains right and we have to protect Test cricket,” Moodi said during the interaction called by the Desert Vipers, who are embarking on new initiatives including the introduction of cricket. carbon credits, a willow tree program and educational activities to promote cricket sustainability.
Moody was merely being realistic when he said the number of Test matches will decrease in the future.
“The reality is that we are not going to play as much Test cricket as we have historically. Furthermore, not every country would play as much Test cricket because of the financial pressure this puts on the cricket boards.” However, the veteran coach said it would be difficult for all T20 leagues to survive for long due to the need for consistent financial support.
Moody hoped that Test cricket would gain some foothold.
“Over time we will see that the established leagues, which have good infrastructure and financial backing and good cricket investors, will continue to exist and prosper, while the others will slowly fade away, creating a natural divide ( for Test cricket),” he noted.
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