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Australian Cricket captain Ricky Ponting tonight called for a “carve-out” period in the calendar for Twenty20 to avoid the possibility of future generations being tempted away from playing for their country.
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Delivering an oration at the Sir Donald Bradman Centenary Dinner in Sydney tonight, Ponting said he thought it was inevitable Twenty20 cricket would be included in future olympics but also warned the form of cricket could be “dangerous”.
The high scoring top order batsman feared cricketers could be lured away from playing for their country if a space wasn’t created in the congested calendar for a tournament like the lucrative Indian Premier League.
Ponting, who had a brief stint in the IPL, outlined his opinions and feelings to an audience which included former Prime Minister John Howard and two of Donald Bradman’s team mates from the 1948 Invincibles team – Sam Loxton and Neil Harvey – that toured England.
“The critical issue with the game of Twenty20 cricket is how do we make it work,” Ponting told an audience of around 400 diners at the Westin Hotel.
“We definitely need a `carve-out’ period. The reason I say that is not because I want to go off and play, it’s not about that.
“I want to play for Australia as much as I can, I want to play as many Tests for Australia as I can.
“I want the next generation of Australian players to have that dream to put on the baggy green cap and play 100 Test matches and 300 one-day games.
“I’m worried if there’s not that period of time be it in the IPL or the EPL, or whatever competition it might be, that this next generation’s opinions might change.
“They might see the dollars and think `maybe it’s more appealing to me that I go and play IPL instead of playing for my country’.
“That would be the saddest thing ever to happen to this great game.”
Ponting said Twenty20’s growth already had a huge impact on the game and opened up new markets for the sport.
“I actually think its inevitable Twenty20 cricket will be an Olympic sport,” Ponting said.
“You think about the audiences in the sub-continent, 22 or 23 per cent of the world’s population is based in that area.
“The IOC could do a lot worse than put cricket into the Olympics.”
Ponting said Australia faced a number of on-field challenges including tours of India and England, Test series home and away against South Africa and the second Twenty20 World Cup.
“Right at the moment Australia really hasn’t got a total grasp of the game of Twenty20, but we’re learning and improving all the time,” Ponting said.
He regaled the audience with stories about his development from his days growing up as a youngster in Launceston and left no one in any doubt about where he ranks Bradman declaring him the greatest of all sportsmen.
“In my opinion Sir Donald Bradman is (golfers Tiger) Woods and (Jack) Nicholas combined and more,” Ponting said.
“Talking about the Olympics I think he’s (Mark) Spitz and (Michael) Phelps and more,” added Ponting.
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