Border calls for the end of T20 internationals

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Cricket365
November 11, 2014

Former Australian captain Allan Border has called for cricket's authorities to bring an end to Twenty20 internationals outside the World Cup so that the 50-over game does not "wither and die".

The Australian domestic season started last week with a 2-1 series T20 series victory over South Africa in matches that were played in front of largely disappointing crowds after both sides fielded XIs far from their strongest.

Following the three T20s, Australia will then play five One Day Internationals (ODIs) against the Proteas, before India arrives in the country for a four-Test series.

Thereafter, the Aussies will be involved in a triangular ODI series that features England and the touring Indians, before the World Cup starts in February next year.

Considering the amount of cricket that will be played in Australian shores in that time – 84 days in fact – Border feels that extra T20 internationals places too much of a burden on the players.

"I wouldn't be playing T20 international cricket at all, I would save that for a World Cup every two years," Border said in an interview with ABC radio.

"I think there is enough domestic Twenty20 cricket to fill the programme out quite nicely… there's Twenty20 competitions in basically every country.

"Why we have to play international Twenty20 cricket as well as that?

"I'd hate to see the 50-over game wither and die, I really think it's a wonderful game of cricket and I think the World Cup coming up in Australia and New Zealand will be an absolute ripper.

"I think that would be a shame, I think the 50-over game is a superior game to 20-over cricket.

"I prefer the 50-over game as far as the ebb and flow, the bowler is in the contest a little more, and you can have little periods where you bat or bowl yourself out of the game and then bat or bowl yourself back into the game.

"That's very difficult to do in 20-over cricket."