ICC should fix Windies club v country row — Clarke

Australia (AFP) — The world governing body should do more to prevent a repeat of the club versus country player crisis that threatens to turn the West Indies-Australia Test series into a farce, Michael Clarke said yesterday.

The former Australian skipper said international cricket must remain the priority for players over participation in the raft of lucrative global Twenty20 tournaments now available to high-profile stars.

But he accepts Tests will only remain the pinnacle of the game if authorities find a balance that allows top players to also take part in competitions such as the Indian Premier League and Australia’s current Big Bash League.

“The players that are here playing in the BBL (Big Bash League), I think, it’s really disappointing they’re not part of the West Indies Test team,” the recently retired Clarke told the
Sydney Morning Herald.

“There’s a number of players in Australia who would be in their number one picked Test team. I think it’s disappointing for the game and Test match cricket.

read more at Jamaica Observer