Former Australian opener Michael Slater has accused Cricket Australia (CA) of 'killing' Test cricket in order to replace it with more Twenty20.
He said the exclusive scheduling of the Twenty20 Big Bash tournament from December 16 to January 28, during which no domestic 50-over or Sheffield Shield cricket will be played, is nonsensical and can only be detrimental to Australia's Test hopes against India this summer.
Slater said on The Big Sports Breakfast radio show on 2KY that CA has completely forgotten about Test cricket, despite their claims they do want to see the longest form of the game thrive.
He said: "They're killing it. They're absolutely killing off Test cricket. They say that they want Test cricket to survive, that it is the traditional form of the game and should be nurtured. Do you think they're nurturing it?"
Slater said CA's intentions to promote Twenty20 Big Bash tournament at the expense of Test cricket is obvious in the situation surrounding Sydney Sixers batsman and Australia's Test hopeful Ed Cowan, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.
Cowan, who plays for Tasmania in the Sheffield Shield, will have just one three-day game in a Chairman's side against India in Canberra from Monday to further press a claim for a baggy green.
The way the schedule has been drawn means there will be no four-day cricket played between December 6 and February 2, a total of 58 days.
Slater said CA have been so keen to establish a re-vamped Twenty20 competition to rival the Indian Premier League that they have been blinded by the affect it is having on Test cricket.
Cricket Australia yesterday defended their scheduling of the Big Bash Twenty20 tournament immediately before the Boxing Day Test by saying no player out of the picture could have forced their way in.
News source by:- http://cricket.yahoo.com/news/
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