England's limited-overs captain Eoin Morgan has issued a stark warning about the future of Test cricket, claiming the format is already second best to T20 after years of neglect. Speaking after two of his one-day squad members, Adil Rashid and Alex Hales, chose to sign white-ball-only contracts with their counties, Morgan said the decline of the longest format may now be irreversible.
Morgan, who played his last Test in 2012, believes cricket's governing bodies have missed the opportunity to act. 'Test match cricket has had a lot to worry about for quite a while now,' he said. 'If something was going to be done about it, it probably should have been done already.' He called for increased financial incentives to keep players in the red-ball game, particularly for nations outside the 'big three' of England, Australia and India.
The trend is not limited to England. West Indies batsman Chris Gayle, who has two Test triple centuries, has not played the format for four years, while South Africa's AB de Villiers has played only four Tests in the past two years, prioritising T20 leagues such as the Indian Premier League. Morgan backed Rashid and Hales for prioritising white-ball cricket, saying it is 'understandable' given their recent focus on the shorter formats.
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson also weighed in, noting the busy international schedule as a factor. 'There is a lot of cricket - a busy, busy schedule - so I suppose guys are making decisions based on a number of factors,' he said. The comments come as England prepare for a home 50-over World Cup next year, with several other players potentially following Rashid and Hales in focusing on limited-overs cricket.
