Will Sri Lanka Test be Durham's last?

The Daily Mail published an article today that adds more fuel to the fire speculating that the ECB is considering the possibility of shortening the number of Tests England play each season from seven to five or six.

www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cricket/articl...ts-England-play.html

This would be a huge disappointment if this were to happen. Six home Tests a year equates to two three-Test match series or alternatively, just one five Test match series. This, combined with the news that the ICC want to schedule the World T20 every two years, does not bode well for the future of Test cricket.

I mentioned on the other thread specialty squads per Format.

A specialised  T20 squad cannot wait 4 years for a Tourney !

look also for the 50 over ODI World Cup every 2 years as well...

It is an interesting idea and one that may well need to be implemented if the sheer number of T20 matches continue to increase each year.

Would players be forced to sign an international contract that would prohibit them from playing domestic T20 tournaments? Would fringe Test players that make a great living playing T20 tournaments all over the world be willing to sign up for that?

Sadly, everything seems to be pointing towards more limited overs cricket and less Test matches.

I cannot see a specialty squad surviving every 2 years with a Single tournament.

Unless they live a frugal lifestyle : So they would need the domestic Income.


Likewise if the 50 Over ODI WC continue to be every 4 years :

how the specialist 50 over guy gonna survive with 1 paycheck every 4 years?


a lotta changes coming ....

Yeah, I just don't see any way the players turn down lucrative T20 contracts. They can make millions for one-month of work and can play in three or four tournaments a year. We are starting to see more and more players choose domestic T20 over playing international matches, and players retiring early with an eye on still playing T20 tournaments all over the world.