Cricket: Border calls for T20 limit

Former Australian captain Allan Border has called for a restriction on Twenty20 internationals. Photo / Getty

Twenty20 internationals should be consigned to only the World Cup, according to former Australian captain Allan Border.

Border, concerned with the sheer amount of cricket on offer, was concerned the "wonderful game" of one-day cricket was in danger from the over-exposure created by the shorter format.

And, in his eyes, Twenty20 was the version of limited overs cricket that should be reduced.

"I wouldn't be playing T20 international cricket at all," Border told ABC radio. "I would save that for a World Cup every two years

"I think there is enough domestic Twenty20 cricket to fill the programme out quite nicely ... there's Twenty20 competitions in basically every country.

"Why we have to play international Twenty20 cricket as well as that?"

Border never played a Twenty20 international, retiring before the format was introduced, whereas in one-day cricket he possessed a glittering record. The batsman led Australia to the World Cup title in 1987, playing 273 matches for his country before calling time on his career.

"I'd hate to see the 50-over game wither and die," he said. "It's a wonderful game of cricket and I think the World Cup coming up in Australia and New Zealand will be an absolute ripper

"I prefer the 50-over game as far as the ebb and flow, the bowler is in the contest a little more, and you can have little periods where you bat or bowl yourself out of the game and then bat or bowl yourself back into the game.

"That's very difficult to do in 20-over cricket."