By Adam Read
April 30 2012

England's one day captain Alastair Cook has lept to the defence of test cricket, as the IPL T20 tournament gets into full swing. The left hander is determined that the longer form of the game should still hold sway in the face of all the money being thrown about at present...

Cook wants the games authorities to do all they can to ensure that the best players in the world are available whenever test cricket is scheduled to be played.

It comes in the face of the West Indies set to arrive in the UK for the forthcoming test series, without their tailsman, and former captain, Chris Gayle, who is still at odds with the West Indian Cricket Board.

Gayle, continues to ply his trade out in the IPL, at the very same time his countrymen are taking on Australia back home.

It is a situation which worries Cook  “Quite clearly I believe that Test cricket is the pinnacle. I still think most players believe that too. Twenty20 has done wonderful things – the numbers of kids playing has gone up, the number coming to watch game has gone up. So it’s been an important thing for the game. But we need to manage things well to protect Test cricket.”

Gayle isn't the only one though to be playing away from the test arena, Dwayne Bravo was another high profile West Indian to opt for IPL action, rather than fight for a test place in the recent Australian series.

In addition, some of England's finest players, are also away from county action, with Kevin Pietersen and Eoin Morgan also chosing to play in the lucrative T20 tournament in India, avoiding the nice summer weather currently on offer at the start of the domestic season.

England v West Indies 2012

Thursday, 17 May 2012 Test match series First Test Match England v West Indies, Lord's, 11:00

Friday, 25 May 2012 Test match series Second Test Match England v West Indies, Trent Bridge, 11:00

Thursday, 7 June 2012 Test match series Third Test Match England v West Indies, Edgbaston, 11:00

Saturday, 16 June 2012 NatWest One Day International Series England v West Indies, Ageas Bowl, 10:45

Tuesday, 19 June 2012 NatWest One Day International Series England v West Indies, The Kia Oval, 10:45

Friday, 22 June 2012 NatWest One Day International Series England v West Indies, Headingley Carnegie, 10:45

Sunday, 24 June 2012 NatWest International Twenty20 Match England v West Indies, Trent Bridge, 14:30

Cook Leaps to Test Cricket Defence

Discussion started by England Cricket (IP Logged), 30/04/2012 11:51

England Cricket
30/04/2012 11:51

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