PAKISTAN captain Mohammad Yousuf says he's worried too much Twenty20 will ''finish'' cricket in his country. The reigning Twenty20 world champions have taken a liking to the game's shortest format but Yousuf says an over-emphasis is undermining players' ability to bat well in Test and even one-day cricket.
Cricket Australia is hoping the popularity of its Big Bash Twenty20 tournament will mean it can turn the domestic competition into an Indian Premier League-style tournament.
CA chief executive James Sutherland said his organisation had been buoyed by impressive television ratings and large crowds for the Big Bash. He said the success would prompt further investigation into giving the Twenty20 format a stand-alone timeslot in the Australian summer of cricket.
''Our long-term planning has a way to go but I could see the time come when the Big Bash has its own summertime window so that we can bolster it even further by having our Test and one-day international players available for interstate Twenty20 duties,'' he said. ''The inclusion of overseas stars such as Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo and Shahid Afridi is making this season's contest a bigger bash, so to speak.''
Yousuf's comments came after Pakistan's 170-run defeat by Australia in the first Test, where the tourists were dismissed for 258 and 251 on a placid MCG wicket.
In their past 14 Tests, Pakistan have passed 350 runs in an innings only twice, and the failures, Yousuf says, relate to Twenty20 cricket.
''It used to happen before but now because of Twenty20 cricket no player knows how to stay at the wicket any more,'' Yousuf told Cricinfo. ''Batsmen are finding it very difficult. I know the format has money, players get it and boards do, but if Pakistan hypes up Twenty20 too much, Test and ODI cricket will really go down.''
Pakistan hold the best win-loss ratio in international Twenty20s and claimed the world championship in England last year.
''Both in Tests and ODIs we have problems,'' Yousuf said. ''We struggle to bat 50 overs.''
Cricket Australia is hoping the popularity of its Big Bash Twenty20 tournament will mean it can turn the domestic competition into an Indian Premier League-style tournament.
CA chief executive James Sutherland said his organisation had been buoyed by impressive television ratings and large crowds for the Big Bash. He said the success would prompt further investigation into giving the Twenty20 format a stand-alone timeslot in the Australian summer of cricket.
''Our long-term planning has a way to go but I could see the time come when the Big Bash has its own summertime window so that we can bolster it even further by having our Test and one-day international players available for interstate Twenty20 duties,'' he said. ''The inclusion of overseas stars such as Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo and Shahid Afridi is making this season's contest a bigger bash, so to speak.''
Yousuf's comments came after Pakistan's 170-run defeat by Australia in the first Test, where the tourists were dismissed for 258 and 251 on a placid MCG wicket.
In their past 14 Tests, Pakistan have passed 350 runs in an innings only twice, and the failures, Yousuf says, relate to Twenty20 cricket.
''It used to happen before but now because of Twenty20 cricket no player knows how to stay at the wicket any more,'' Yousuf told Cricinfo. ''Batsmen are finding it very difficult. I know the format has money, players get it and boards do, but if Pakistan hypes up Twenty20 too much, Test and ODI cricket will really go down.''
Pakistan hold the best win-loss ratio in international Twenty20s and claimed the world championship in England last year.
''Both in Tests and ODIs we have problems,'' Yousuf said. ''We struggle to bat 50 overs.''
