ICC needs to ensure the survival of Test cricket and ODIs, proclaims Kapil Dev

The future of bilateral cricket along with ODI cricket and Tests seems to be bleak with the advent of franchise leagues. League cricket has been going through a steady rise recently and the players are preferring the shortest format. The discussion was further bolstered recently after Ben Stokes retired from ODIs while Trent Boult himself pulled out of central contracts. 

IPL will be given an extended window as notified by BCCI earlier this year. Also, two new leagues in UAE and South Africa are set to be scheduled to start. Former India cricketer Kapil Dev has raised concerns over the rise in league cricket saying that ICC needs to protect Test cricket and ODIs.

"It's going the way as football in Europe. They don't play against each country. It is once in four years (during the World Cup),” Dev told the Sydney Morning Herald.

"Is this what we're going to have, the World Cup and the rest of the time playing club (T20 franchise) cricket? In a similar way, will cricketers eventually be playing mainly the IPL or the Big Bash or something like that? The ICC have to put more time into that to see how they can ensure the survival of one-day cricket, test match cricket, not only club cricket.”

However, ICC has said that there will be no dip in the amount of ODIslined up in the upcoming cycle.