New Zealand legend Glenn Turner, is concerned about the impact of T20 cricket on the “more worthwhile forms” of the game and feels that the coronavirus-forced break is a good time to “reassess” the future of the sport.
Turner, who has written a new book ‘Cricket’s Global Warming’ with noted author Lynn McConnell, said to stuff.co.nz, “Money rules and you’ve got Twenty20 dominating to such an extent where it is putting what I consider to be more worthwhile forms of the game virtually into the background. That is only happening because of the money that they can get from that and of course the argument too, is that it is getting more people interested in the game. But if you dine at a fast food takeaway, does that mean that you are going to go on to fine dining? I don’t think so and that doesn’t appear to be happening.” Turner said in the last few decades players have more power than the boards which govern them. “The power has shifted almost totally to the players where boards step back and let the game be run largely by senior players. Things have turned 180 degrees and I don’t think either is ideal”.
The 72-year-old, who scored 2991 runs in 41 Tests and 1598 runs in 41 ODIs, was also not happy with the outcome of last year’s World Cup where England were adjudged winners on the basis of boundary-count after regulation play and subsequent Super Over ended in a tie in the final against New Zealand. Turner said Stokes should have been given out for obstructing the field.
