Need for Financial security and injury threats will see others following all-rounders Jacob Oram and andrew flintoff in giving up Test cricket, feels Manoj Prabhakar
Need for Financial security and injury threats will see others following all-rounders Jacob Oram and andrew flintoff in giving up Test cricket, feels Manoj Prabhakar
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All-Rounders have always been a rare, sought after breed in any form of cricket. But having a genuine all-rounder, capable of winning a match with bat or ball has always been crucial to Test cricket, often giving one side a distinct advantage over the other.
But just as Twenty20 cricket and the subsequent Indian Premier League has changed the face of cricket, it has also begun to change the mindset of all-rounders.
Heavy workload
Considering that their workload is the heaviest in cricket, all-rounders have always been prone to injury and many like Andrew Flintoff earlier this year and Jacob Oram last Tuesday, have decided to retire from Test cricket with an aim to lengthen their international careers.
Considering that cricket lacks genuine all-rounders, if the trend continues, they may disappear entirely from Test cricket.
Manoj Prabhakar, one of the few notable all-rounders to have played for India after Kapil Dev, agrees. "All-rounders have a heavy workload and hence they suffer from wear and tear more and are always prone to injuries. "Often, injuries can also be career-threatening. In any case, a cricketer's international career is quite short, so I would not blame them if they are looking for security," he said, adding that money is driving these cricketers away from Test cricket.
"They can earn a lot in IPL and Champions League with a lesser risk of injury. Hence, they can continue playing top-level cricket and also lengthen their careers. The money is also good so that holds them in good stead for the future. If you look at it from their point of view, it is the right decision to take," Prabhakar added.
With the popularity of the shortest version of the game increasing rapidly, retirement from Test cricket might become the order of the day, further decreasing the popularity of what is also called real cricket.
"But what can you do about it? If tomorrow, Jacques Kallis also decides to do the same, no one can stop him. It is a personal choice and you cannot blame them for taking this route," said Prabhakar adding that the solution lies with the International Cricket Council and the national cricket boards.
"T20 leagues arecoming up every month. Then there is the hectic international calendar. If cricketers play so much, it is natural they will suffer more injuries and then they will have to give up some form of cricket to recover.
"To get players to play Test cricket, ICC must look at reducing the number of ODIs and T20s. This will give everyone enough time to keep themselves fit and available for all forms of the game."
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