Miandad says Twenty20 is not 'real cricket'

Javed Miandad, the former Pakistan captain, has warned that the continued promotion of Twenty20 cricket poses a threat to the traditional bastions of the sport, particularly at Test level.

"They [ICC] are turning cricket into baseball," Miandad said. "In their bid to further commercialise and globalise the sport they are ruining its traditional character and spirit."

Pakistan will face India in the final of World Twenty20 today but Miandad played down the team's achievements and insisted the shortest form of the game was not real cricket.

"This is not the cricket we played and are aware of. Winning any tournament is an achievement for any team but this is not real cricket." He said if Twenty20 was allowed to flourish as one-day internationals were, sponsors and spectators would eventually turn away from Test cricket.

"Why would a sponsor bother putting money into Test matches when he can get more mileage in less time? Why would people come to watch Test matches if they can get bang-bang action in four hours?"

Miandad said he was also concerned that if youngsters were introduced to cricket through Twenty20 games, the sport would eventually be deprived of quality players.

Rashid Latif, a former Pakistan wicketkeeper and captain, agreed, saying there was a need to keep both forms of the game apart.

"It can be done but the ICC and national boards must guard against an overdose of Twenty20 cricket because it has the potential to destroy traditional cricket," he said.