Some Test cricket looks like T20 at times, with aggressive batting and bowling,” Rhodes told the media during the jersey launch of European T20 Premier League (ETPL) team Rotterdam Dockers on Tuesday. “When T20 cricket first started, people were saying it was going to put pressure on Test cricket and, amazingly, it has not. Former South Africa cricketer Jonty Rhodes has said there could be fewer bilateral ODI series in the future, but added that it is difficult to imagine cricket without the 50-over format. Rhodes believes fans will continue to turn up to support their teams regardless of the format, while acknowledging that the 50-over game could face challenges in the years ahead.
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“We’ve seen in the FIFA World Cup the passion that people have for playing for their country. “We, as South Africans, are looking forward to hosting it. It’s been a while, and it’s great that it’s come around again. “In the Indian team, Virat Kohli insisted that you had to be fit, a good fielder, athletic and robust in the field, and fitness levels were extremely important. We’ve seen the evolution in India from a team that had one or two great fielders to a team where there’s nobody to hide,” he added.
Because they don’t get to do it that often, it’s often the case.
“From that point of view, we’re really fortunate that what 50-over cricket has is a base of really passionate fans who will support their team no matter what format or version it is,” Rhodes said. Rhodes said the growing number of T20 leagues around the world could prompt players to retire from international cricket earlier. So, outside of a FIFA World Cup year, most of those international stars are playing for their clubs and franchises, and you might see more and more of that happening from a cricketing perspective,” he said. Good timing for us, as the team is playing pretty well,” he said.
