Sangakkara: Our first-class cricket is weak
Sri Lanka legend Kumar Sangakkara has urged his country's Cricket Board to relook at the domestic structures and put more emphasis on first-class cricket.
Sangakkara, who will be retiring from international cricket after two matches of the upcoming Test series against India, feels to much emphasis is placed on school cricket and not enough attention given to the first-class game.
Sri Lanka is known for their strong cricket systems at school-level and often get packed crowds for high-school matches, but the left-handed Sangakkara says the national team will suffer in the long run.
He feels a healthy first-class cricket system will help better prepare the players for the intensity of international cricket.
Sangakkara told Cricinfo's Cricket Monthly: "The thing about our first-class cricket when I started out was that it was much more competitive than now. There were more players of quality in the same team, whereas now it's spread very thin.
"I don't know what's missing now. I definitely remember club cricket being a lot tougher and a lot more intense when I started.
"(Former Sri Lanka and now England coach)Trevor Bayliss made the comment when he was coach, we were teaching newcomers how to play first-class cricket while being in the national side. You want him to be the finished article already."
"What I don't understand is: why do we worry so much about school cricket? It's the first-class system we should be focusing on. Who's going to play in the Sri Lanka side at 18? No one.
"In Asia, this is the whole thing. We're always looking for the next boy wonder."
Sangakkara, who has more than 12 000 runs in Test cricket, will play two of the three Tests against India. The first Test is at Galle starting on 8 August while his final international match will be at the P. Sara Oval in Colombo on 20 August.
Latest
-
NewsWorcestershire make it two in a row with 11-run victory over Gloucestershire
Opener Jack Haynes led the way with 59 off 61 balls with seven fours and a six.
-
NewsTom Westley and Essex have their sights set on Royal London Cup silverware
Essex, who won the domestic Twenty20 competition in 2019, have only two players in The Hundred.
-
NewsMatt Parkinson stars at Manchester Originals have Birmingham Phoenix in a spin
The England leg spinner’s four for nine set up the victory for Jos Buttler’s side.
-
NewsHaseeb Hameed hundred helps Nottinghamshire defeat Warwickshire
Essex and Lancashire remain perfect in Group Two after two games.
-
NewsHundred organisers hit out at ‘unacceptable’ abuse
Players have been targeted since the launch of cricket’s new format.
-
NewsJoe Root admits friendship will be set aside against Ben Stokes in The Hundred
The England pair face off with Trent Rockers and Northern Superchargers on Monday.
-
NewsLocal hero Jonny Bairstow stuns Headingley with impressive Welsh Fire knock
Yorkshire wicketkeeper-batsman Bairstow, captaining the Fire, hit 56 from 36 balls in The Hundred clash.
-
News‘He’s a fantastic asset’ – Joe Root excited to see Rashid Khan in Hundred action
The England Test captain and Afghanistan leg-spinner are team-mates at Trent Rockets.
-
News5 things we learned from the opening games of The Hundred
The near 8,000 who turned up for night one represented the biggest ever UK crowd for a women’s match.
-
NewsFirst-pick Rashid Khan proud to be flying flag for Afghanistan in The Hundred
The leg-spinner is excited about the prospect of bowling 10 balls in a row when he turns out for Trent Rockets.