Archive · 22 Aug 2026
Chaminda Vaas Urges Boards to Preserve Test and ODI Cricket
T20 cricket is short and very popular.
Chaminda Vaas said cricket leaders should not allow Test and one-day cricket to disappear.
He believes Test matches are important because they test many different skills.
He said Sri Lanka is not playing enough Test matches to help its players improve.
He also wants young Sri Lankan players to play more four-day domestic matches.
Sri Lanka recently lost a Test match to India by 165 runs in Galle.
Vaas praised India for having strong players and good facilities.
He said some players are best suited to certain formats.
He also believes fast bowlers who can swing the ball can still take important wickets.
Chaminda Vaas said cricket boards should protect Test and 50-over cricket as T20 gains popularity.
He warned that Test cricket is declining amid the growth of franchise leagues and shorter formats.
Vaas said Sri Lanka needs more Test matches and stronger red-ball competition to improve player development.
He recommended replacing three-day domestic matches with four-day games for young players.
Vaas also urged teams to identify format-specific talent and revive swing bowling among fast bowlers.
- Who
- Former Sri Lankan fast bowler Chaminda Vaas made the appeal.
- What
- He urged cricket authorities to preserve Test and 50-over cricket while acknowledging that T20 is increasingly popular.
- When
- The comments were reported on Saturday, Aug. 22.
- Where
- Vaas spoke to PTI in Colombo, while discussing Sri Lanka’s defeat in Galle.
- Why
- He said Test and one-day cricket are foundational formats, and that Sri Lanka’s limited Test schedule is harming player development.
T20 and Franchise Expansion
Traditional-Format Preservation
Cricket’s future
T20 and Franchise Expansion
T20 is increasingly preferred by countries and was described by Vaas as the game of the future.
Traditional-Format Preservation
Vaas said Test and one-day cricket are pioneering formats that cricket boards should preserve.
Competition structure
T20 and Franchise Expansion
The growth of franchise leagues and calls to end randomly scheduled bilateral series favor more context-driven competitions, potentially placing pressure on one-day cricket.
Traditional-Format Preservation
Vaas called for arrangements that keep 50-over cricket alive and plans that provide youngsters with exposure to Test cricket.
Player development
T20 and Franchise Expansion
Shorter formats can suit players who specialize in white-ball cricket, including T20.
Traditional-Format Preservation
Vaas said Test cricket most thoroughly tests skills and recommended four-day domestic matches to prepare players for the format.
- Speaker
- Chaminda Vaas, a former Sri Lankan fast bowler
- Formats discussed
- T20, Test cricket and 50-over one-day cricket
- Recent result
- India defeated Sri Lanka by 165 runs in the first Test at Galle
- Vaas’s international wickets
- 400 ODI wickets and 355 Test wickets
- Scheduling recommendation
- Sri Lanka should play more Tests and red-ball matches
- Domestic cricket recommendation
- Four-day matches should replace three-day matches to better prepare players for Tests
- Bowling concern
- Vaas said modern fast bowlers swing the ball less while power-hitting has become more prominent
