London, July 20 (UNI) Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has called for a reduction in the num- ber of T20Is played to counter the raging issue of schedule in international cricket. The month of July 2022 has seen the issue of hectic scheduling in cricket and the prioritization of franchise T20 leagues being reignited. South Africa chose to pull out of a three-match ODI series against Australia in January 2023 to ensure their players would be available for the upcoming new domestic T20 competition in the country.
Earlier this week, England’s Test skipper and all-rounder Ben Stokes announced his retirement from ODI cricket after the first match against South Africa at the age of 31, citing the “unsustainable” workload of playing in all three formats. With speculations coming that the upcoming Future Tours Programme (FTP) for the 2023-27 cycle will have more T20I action, Shas- tri, currently in the United Kingdom as a member of the Sky Sports commentary team, feels that bi- lateral T20Is should be reduced by a huge amount to free up a hectic international calendar.
