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[Saba Sports News] Shoaib Akhtar, the brand ambassador of the ILT20, has noted the shift in cricket towards shorter formats like T20, a change he sees as a natural progression of the sport. He discussed how players are increasingly focusing on T20 cricket over Tests due to the financial benefits of league tournaments. Akhtar believes players now face the challenge of balancing their schedules between national team commitments and league tournaments.
In an interview, Akhtar remarked on the difficulty players face in managing their careers amidst the abundance of T20 cricket. He pointed out that this trend aligns with broadcasters’ preferences and the current generation’s interest in shorter, quicker formats.
“We will have to see the priorities. The players now have to plan their year according to their national team and the league schedules at the same time. It is difficult for the players to manage their careers because they are playing way too much T20 cricket. But this is the way forward, right? And this is the way forward for broadcasters,” shared Akhtar.
He expressed satisfaction with cricket’s growth but emphasized the need for the sport to expand globally.
“Because they are demanding the shortest format of cricket. The interest of this generation has been reduced to one or two hours. As I said, the priorities have changed. But I’m glad that cricket is growing; I want this game to be global rather than a couple of regions,” he added.
Additionally, Akhtar humorously commented on his relief at not playing in today’s cricket era, dominated by T20 leagues. He observed that modern batters often overpower bowlers, something he would have found hard to tolerate. Reflecting on his playing style, Akhtar mentioned that in his time, he would warm up over four years, bowling 800–900 overs a season. In today’s fast-paced cricket environment, he joked that he would have ended up playing in about 20 leagues per season.
“If I was still playing? Thank god I’m not playing in this era! The way the batters insult bowlers these days, I wouldn’t have tolerated that. Having said that, it would’ve been difficult. I used to get warm-up in four years. In a season, I used to bowl around 800–900 overs. I would’ve played around 20 leagues in a season,” he said.