Format will not compromise Australia's existing games

No plans to expand Twenty20 internationals

Cricinfo staff

December 10, 2007

Cricket Australia is happy for Twenty20 to develop, but wants to focus on it at domestic level © Getty Images

Twenty20 internationals will continue to be a support act for Test and one-day cricket in Australia with the national body not planning a push for more matches. Australia will play one of their two shortened games on Tuesday against New Zealand in Perth, but despite the popularity of the format it will not be expanded past the ICC limit of three home matches a summer.

"Our emerging view is that Twenty20 has to find a place that complements but does not compromise Test and ODI cricket that already exists," the Cricket Australia spokesman Peter Young told the Daily Telegraph. "We have started to move towards the view that there is a lot of potential to develop it as an interstate style of product."

The domestic competition starts on New Year's Eve and lasts for two weeks. Each team will play five matches before the final on January 13 and the top two sides will be part of a global tournament next year.

"That's where our focus is at the moment," Young said. "But there is obviously an international place. The ICC has played the Twenty20 World Cup and there will be Twenty20 international games."

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