Australian legend Matthew Hayden, on Wednesday, said that India tour is of paramount importance in his country’s cricket culture and urged the board and the players to resolve the pay dispute keeping in mind the high stakes involved, reported PTI.
“I think it will get resolved. But I am not sure how it will get resolved. That is because there have been mediation efforts and that have not been accepted,” Hayden said.
“Plans have been laid out pretty substantially. There has to be a meeting of the minds. And, it has to happen quickly. We have a tour of India coming up as well. It is very important part of meeting the ICC future tours programme. There is a lot at stake. Not to mention of the Ashes. [Matches against] India and the Ashes are the premium Test match events in the Australian cricket culture. There is so much to lose by not resolving the issues.”
About Test cricket, Hayden said the longest format of the game can never be replaced and underlined the importance of how the administrators and the International Cricket Council balance it with the other formats.
“I have heard arguments that Twenty20 cricket is always going to be a problem. T20 cricket is a solution. Test cricket is also a solution, to a different audience. You will never ever get test match cricket replaced. But, the administrators and the ICC in particular have to acknowledge the changing face of test cricket.
“To have 14 test matches in a domestic summer in India is going to have effects on the fan base of cricket. No questions. Then you add on the other layers, of One-dayers and T20s. Something has got to give. I don’t believe that the ICC is addressing the future tours programme as it could be to acknowledge the importance of T20 cricket, but also at the end of the stick acknowledge every stakeholder in the game loves test cricket. How do you balance that programme, is important.
Branding of Test cricket
The 46-year-old, who is India as a broadcaster for the Tamil Nadu Premier League said that he had “missed” Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League while they serving a suspension over the last two seasons. Hayden called for a balance between the formats of the game, and praised Australia, England and South Africa for preserving the traditions of Test cricket, “You have to be careful about branding of test match cricket.
This is what I think Australia and England have done particularly well, and South Africa, to a degree. They have protected the tradition of the game. Test match cricket is our bluechip property. There has to be a careful balance between T20 and One-day cricket,” Hayden said.