In order to address the pressing problem of scheduling in international cricket, former India head coach Ravi Shastri has urged for a reduction in the number of T20Is played. The problem of crammed cricket schedules and the prioritisation of franchise T20 competitions has returned in the month of July 2022.
In January 2023, South Africa made the decision to withdraw from a three-match ODI series against Australia in order to make sure that its players would be available for the nation's planned new domestic T20 league.
Ben Stokes, England's Test captain and all-rounder, stated earlier this week that he would stop playing one-day international cricket at the age of 31 following the first game against South Africa due to the "unsustainable" burden of competing in all three forms.
Shastri, who is currently in the United Kingdom as a member of the Sky Sports commentary team, believes that bilateral T20Is should be greatly reduced in order to free up the busy international calendar in light of recent rumours that the upcoming Future Tours Programme (FTP) for the 2023–27 cycle will have more T20I.
"Particularly in T20 cricket, I would exercise a little caution when it comes to the frequency of bilateral splits. There is a lot of franchise cricket that may be promoted, whether it is played in Pakistan, India, or the West Indies. Less bilateral competition is played before everyone gathers for the World Cups. Therefore, the ICC World Cup events become of utmost importance. People then anticipate them, "said Shastri in a Vaughany and Tuffers podcast episode.
In an effort to protect the survival of the longest format of the game, Shastri, a former all-rounder for India and a member of the team that won the 1983 Cricket World Cup, also called for the establishment of two divisions in Test cricket.
"If there aren't two tiers, I believe Test cricket will be extinct in 10 years. Six teams are required at the top, while another six teams are required in the second to qualify. And because of the new avenues that are created by having less bilateral T20 cricket and more franchise cricket, the top six teams face off more frequently. All game types can endure in this manner."