| Player: | PD Collingwood |
DateLine: 6th May 2009
England T20 skipper Paul Collingwood said that he fears the future generation of players might choose T20 over the mental torture associated with that of a series like Ashes.
According to a release, Collingwood told the Wisden Cricketer thatr for his generation, Test cricket was the ultimate but the kind of rewards associated with shortest format of the game might change the mindset of the younger generation, and they may switch priorities.
"My generation saw Test cricket and playing in the Ashes as the ultimate. That was my dream. I gave up the one-day captaincy because it was affecting my Test game and I wanted to keep my Test place. Maybe in the future today’s young players will prioritise one-day and Twenty20.
"We have to be careful. If you can get 10 times the money for playing a few weeks of Twenty20 than for months of mental torture in the Ashes, then I’m afraid to say some people would take the first option," he said.
Collingwood said that by bringing the pays and bonuses of the Test matches closer to that of the shorter formats of the game might help.
"We have to make sure the pay and bonuses for Test cricket and Twenty20 are closer, otherwise players will concentrate on Twenty20 from an early age," he stresses. "If that’s the way we want to go as a world sport, then fine, keep it as it is. If Test cricket is the ultimate, then we are going to have to do something about remuneration."
On the other hand, the right-handed middle-order batsman also praised the enormous skill levels needed to succeed in T20.
"Test cricket is about the mental side. As a batsman you apply yourself to make a barrier in front of the wicket. I seriously think 20 overs is more skill-based. It’s a fantastic game with immense pressure. You couldn’t keep up that intensity for a whole day,” said Collingwood.