It’s a T20-caused challenge!

Therersquos no point in bemoaning the fact that the game is not like it was previously If T20 is to shape the future then what lessons can cricket learn so that the game continues to grow in directions that werenrsquot previously visualisedIn particular what effect will this phenomenon have on players selectors curators and even the lawsThe England team have dramatically shown by displaying an adventurous spirit under skipper Ben Stokes that Test cricket can still be a turnstile winner There will be days when Englandrsquos attacking attitude falls flat on its face but boy when it succeeds as it has the opposition faces a stiff challengeItrsquoll be interesting to see if Englandrsquos positive Test attitude flourishes in county cricketAggressive approachWill both batsmen and bowlers display a more aggressive approach to scoring runs and taking wicketsItrsquos likely that county players who possess the ability to adapt will have the most success and thereby put themselves in line for a call to higher duty For a long time the county game has needed to change its safetyfirst attitude to one of genuinely trying to win each matchIt would be good for cricket if a positive approach continued to flow through to the game in generalUpandcoming players are already focused on whether to slant their future more towards a contract in T20 rather than one in Test cricket A coach has a choice of whether to prepare a player for every form of the game by building a solid technique like Virat Kohli or having a player imitate the volatile T20 hitting of Suryakumar Yadav This is a challenging choiceSelectors are faced with a dilemma in choosing players If in future many cricketers are chosen for the Test side straight from a T20 league will their selection encourage other players to display more aggressionWill players like David Warner and Suryakumar be encouraged to chase Test selection on the basis of their T20 successThis makes selection more difficult than in the past Adding to that difficulty international players rarely perform in firstclass cricket these days therefore itrsquos more difficult to predict how a young cricketer might handle promotion to a higher levelSelectors need to be adept at visualising a playerrsquos coping mechanism if they were to reach international level Pitch problemsThen there is a decision on what pitches to prepare for the various forms of the game Unfortunately this crucial aspect is not always left solely to the best equipped people a curator or groundsman However wicketpreparation should always prioritise pitches that show cricket at its best when the game is a genuine contest between bat and ballVarious forms of the game also need consideration when laws are framed The ludicrous combination of improved bats and shorter boundaries that pervade the T20 game is not the ideal combination for providing a competitive cricket atmosphereAs England have shown T20 can positively affect other forms of the game so careful planning for the future is crucialBowlers have had to handle an allout attacking approach from batting sides in T20 and to a lesser extent in oneday cricket England are now cleverly making this a factor in Test cricket Ideally bowlers will be encouraged to enhance their wickettaking skills rather than strive purely for an improvement in containmentWill nonEnglish Test batsmen be encouraged to display their aggressive skills or will the advice still be to mix a solid defence with the ability to play selected shotsThen there is programming Will administrators continue to program more T20 cricket at the expense of the longer game This is a distinct possibility as firstclass cricket is an expensive exercise which brings little in return apart from the advancement of young playersOpportunity for youthThese are all valid questions that require well thought out answers including the crucial input of current players However it should never be forgotten that young players deserve the opportunitymdashif they choosemdashto experience Test cricket