NEW DELHI: England wicket-keeper/batsman Jos Buttler has said there is nothing wrong with cricketers wanting to specialise in a particular format and believes the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) has changed the ‘climate’ of the sport considerably.

Buttler’s compatriots Adil Rashid and Alex Hales have signed white ball-only contracts with their respective counties, which mean they are not available for selection for the Test side, while Colin Munro did the same in New Zealand in March.

Test, or red-ball, cricket’s slide in priority for many players is a concern for traditionalists and a recent report by the Federation of International Cricketers Association (FICA) said young players were putting their Twenty20 ambitions above national contracts.

“I think there is nothing wrong in people wanting to specialise in the sport,” Buttler told the Hindustan Times. “It is becoming increasingly tough to play in all three formats. I don’t think we should have that snobbery that if you play cricket, you need to play all formats.”

Buttler also said players should not be criticised for looking to maximise their earnings in tournaments like the IPL. “The climate of cricket has changed a lot with the IPL and the money the tournament offers,” said Buttler, who earned 44 million Indian rupees ($659,274) in this year’s players auction after being bought by Rajasthan Royals.

Published in Dawn, May 3rd, 2018