Some players, according to Pakistan’s former captain, are starting to lose interest in international competition

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has been encouraged by Salman Butt to keep track of the number of Twenty20 leagues that are played in a given calendar year.

The decision of England Test captain Ben Stokes to retire from one-day international cricket has sparked a discussion on the viability of the 50-over format. Several present and former cricket players have expressed their belief that the One-Day International format is on the verge of collapse.

And now, former Pakistani captain Salman Butt has requested that the International Cricket Council (ICC) keep track of how many Twenty20 leagues are played in a given calendar year. Butt is concerned that an excessive amount of Twenty20 cricket could lower the overall quality of the game, and that players would lose interest in participating in international cricket, particularly one-day internationals and tests, in the not too distant future.

“Unfortunately, it appears that this will be the case. I truly hope and pray that, other from leagues, the true legacy of cricket, which consists of test matches and one-day internationals, does not go out. The International Cricket Council (ICC) needs to make a decision regarding the number of leagues that should be played each year as well as who will be in charge of organising these leagues. Butt stated this in a video that he released to his YouTube channel.

“If there are leagues left, right, and centre, then the standard would not be there, and the players would not have as much interest in international cricket,” Butt added.

Butt also stated that the proliferation of Twenty20 leagues around the world has been the most detrimental to one-day international cricket.

“The reason for this is because of the leagues. The number of one-day international matches played in leagues has decreased, but the number of Twenty20 matches has climbed. People were finding it difficult to consume T20 cricket, so in order to get the sport into the Olympics, they introduced T10 cricket instead. You would not go there, and they would not call you. Neither of you would go there.