Cut T20Is to reduce schedule, says Bayliss

HAMILTON, New Zealand: Trevor Bayliss, England’s head coach, has suggested getting rid of T20 internationals and leaving the format to the various leagues around the world, following the culmination of a disappointing tri-series for the tourists.

England beat New Zealand by two runs in Hamilton to finally register a win but failed to qualify for Wednesday’s final because of an inferior net run rate.Asked about England’s performances in the tri-series, where they lost three out of four T20s, Bayliss suggested they had had to make do without a full-strength side because of the packed nature of the calendar. He went on to reiterate his view that the format should only be played internationally in the run-up to World T20s.

“Look, I haven’t changed my opinion on it. I wouldn’t play T20 internationals,” Bayliss told Sky Sports. “I’d just let the franchises play. If we continue putting on so many games there’ll be a certain amount of blowout, not just players but coaches as well.

“If you want to play a World Cup every four years or whatever it is, maybe six months before you get the international teams and let them play some T20 internationals.”England were without first-choice T20 players such as Joe Root, Moeen Ali and Ben Stokes in the tri-series — the latter because of a police investigation — as they gave opportunities to the likes of Dawid Malan, Sam Billings, James Vince and Liam Dawson. Malan was England’s top run-scorer, with three fifties in four innings, but they struggled for consistency overall.

Debate about the schedule has increased in recent days, after Adil Rashid announced his decision not to play first-class cricket for Yorkshire in 2018. With lucrative T20 leagues continuing to proliferate, players are increasingly required to make decisions about how to best manage their playing commitments in different formats.

Bayliss, who has previously coached in the IPL with Kolkata Knight Riders, said that the likelihood of coaches also going down the route of specialisation was increasing.“If you go to a swimming tournament you’ve got 1500m specialists and 100m specialists,” Bayliss said. “I think it’s definitely the way it’s heading, not just with the players... but when that happens I’m not sure.”