New Delhi: Former South Africa batsman gives up flourishing international career to focus on franchise tour Heinrich Klassen Believe that it is time for T20 cricket to be considered as an independent sport – one in which professional leagues can thrive and help globalize cricket.The slugger said cricketers are reaching a stage where they can build their careers like professional footballers. But he understands that the game’s purists and administrators are not ready for a future in which international cricket is reduced and leagues take center stage.“I think cricket wants to go the way of football. But cricket purists, especially in India, England, Australia, South Africa and probably New Zealand, will never let that happen. They will want Test cricket to stay. To have something like BCCI Klassen told TOI on Thursday that the decision to play only T20 cricket across the world and allow international cricket to be played for only two months every year will never happen.“Sometimes it is difficult to get into an international team, or the pay is not high. It is obviously a business and you want to take care of your family and your life and you only have a certain amount of time to do that. So, cricketers will definitely move in that direction,” he added.Klassen stressed the need to embrace T20 cricket as the format that will shape the future of the sport. “This is probably the format that will stay the longest from now on. Other formats will either slow down a bit or be restricted. Cricket is constantly evolving and I think T20 cricket is also forcing other formats to play in a different way. If you want to grow cricket, this is definitely the right format,” Klassen said.With T20 cricket, the dynamics of the game have changed. Klassen believes this is here to stay, and the coaching playbook has evolved.“If you look at coaches around the world, that’s how they coach. They know the mentality of players is different from what it was six years ago. As a coach, if you want to be successful and have a job for a long time, your mentality definitely has to change. They still give old-school advice and make sure the brain of cricket is still there and it’s not just a tough game. It’s a good balance at the moment, especially the coaches I’ve worked with,” said.
