ICC happy to keep Twenty20 on a tight leash

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The International Cricket Council (ICC) says it wants to keep a check on the number of international Twenty20 ties despite the game's increasing appeal.

"In terms of increasing the number of Twenty20 games at the national level there is a huge debate on that," ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said on Thursday at a promotional event for the World Twenty20 starting in England on June 5.

"My personal view is that it should be a domestic event rather than an international event.

"Test and one-day cricket are being played as international games and Twenty20 in the view of many should be limited at the international level."

Some experts feel that too many Twenty20 internationals, perfect for new fans thanks to its three-hour duration, could hurt the following for the longer versions of the game.

Lorgat was reacting to comments by Australian coach Tim Nielsen, who has urged the ICC to permit regular bilateral series for Twenty20 games if teams are to take the format seriously.

Australia, champions in the last three World Cups and the number one test team, lost early in the inaugural World Twenty20 in 2007 against surprise champions India.

"If they're fair dinkum (serious) about Twenty20 cricket - and when you look at everything that's happening around the world, they should be - then we have to get to a point where we're no longer just squeezing Twenty20 internationals into the schedule as exhibition matches," Nielsen told cricket website www.cricinfo.com.

Currently, teams are allowed one Twenty20 international on a bilateral tour. However, the lucrative Indian Premier League involving players from major cricketing nations has proved a hit.