West Indies great Sobers says player preference for T20 is cause for Caribbean cricket decline

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) _ West Indies great Garfield Sobers thinks the increasing player preference for Twenty20 leagues over conventional formats of the game has contributed to the decline of Caribbean cricket.

He says the players need to strike a balance between money and national duty.

Sobers is visiting Sri Lanka to watch the second cricket test between Sri Lanka and West Indies starting Thursday. The series is being played for Sobers-Tissera trophy, named in honour of the West Indies allrounder and Michael Tissera, a national captain in Sri Lanka’s pre-test era.

He said because West Indies selectors struggle to pick their best team due to the unavailability of players on T20 contacts, it may take a long time for the sport to recover in his region.

A cricket world leader in the 1970s and 80s, West Indies is now No. 8 in the test rankings.