Indian Premier League and Cricket News by IPL Cricket Forum

Speaking to the Independent, London, former England captain David Gower said though Twenty20 is here to stay, “six weeks’ razzle-dazzle is not enough to consign over a hundred years of Test cricket to the dump”.

“You must be off your rocker. Twenty20 is here to stay and will energise the game around the world, but players, however grateful for IPL and, in the future, EPL cash, still know that they will be judged by their record as Test players,” he said. As such he does not considers IPl as a threat to Test Cricket.

Asked whether the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) should allow England players a crack at the IPL next year, he replied, “The ECB might well make some concessions to their contracted players re the IPL, but a lot depends on how plans for an EPL develop. Until those are clear we need to hold fire.”

Gower also said England are clear favourites for the upcoming series against New Zealand, “having rediscovered the winning habit in the nick of time in New Zealand”. New Zealand, he added, “will be reliant on the usual few”.

“England should be thinking in terms of a clean sweep, but who knows what the weather gods have in store?”- he added.