T20 leagues have created loyalty to money instead of loyalty to the team: Steve Waugh

Australia Test captain Steve Waugh feels that the current turmoil between the West Indies cricket Board (WICB) and its player is a perfect example of the problems T20 format is causing in the cricket.

Waugh was speaking to media at the Laureus Sports Awards on Monday. He said the lucrative T20 leagues across the globe had created a “loyalty to money” among players instead of “loyalty to the team”, reports CMC.

“There is a danger and we all know that. Look at the West Indies. The incentive to play T20 cricket is so much more than Test cricket,” said the Australian stalwart, who played 168 Tests and 325 One-Day Internationals.

The West Indies is currently struggling with player-board conflict. Despite such problems, Calypso Kings crowned themselves as the World T20 champions earlier this month in India. However, they have been terrible in the Test format and lie eighth in the rankings. The Test team lacks the presence of big names who now opt to play T20s instead of the longer format.

Waugh also singled out New Zealander stroke-maker Brendon McCullum as a player who cut short his career to focus on T20s.

“Somebody like Brendon McCullum retired from Test cricket even though I feel he still had three-four years in him,” Waugh said.

“He is just working for superannuation right now, for his family, which is alright. Overall, I feel there is no loyalty to the team, there is loyalty to money now. I don’t blame the players but it’s tough on the fans.”

Waugh, who scored 10,927 Test runs with 32 hundreds, said Australia, England and India were closest to finding balance among all three formats.

“Australia is the closest when it comes to striking a balance, India has the potential and England is also coming up nicely,” Waugh pointed out.

“It’s impossible to strike a perfect balance given that there are three different teams. It’s not realistic. I don’t think there would ever be one world number one in all three formats of the game.”