Sydney, Jul 20 (ANI): Pakistani cricket legend Imran Khan has suggested axing 50-over cricket as a way to ease the unprecedented stress on fast bowlers so that they do not become an extinct species like dinosaurs.

The former Pakistan captain, who in 1992 led his country to World Cup glory, made these remarks while giving the annual Cowdrey Lecture at Lord’s in London on Monday.

“Maybe we should eliminate 50-over cricket and just have Twenty20 cricket and Test cricket. I don’t believe Test cricket is the same standard as before,” Imran said.

Imran said the way the international game was structured puts “tremendous pressure” on bowlers.

“The stress on fast bowlers is incredible. But cricket without fast bowling is never going to be the same standard if a batsman doesn’t test himself against fast bowling. I saw (Australia’s) Shaun Tait bowl in the Twenty20s and I thought an alien had come in - you suddenly saw batsmen hopping about,’ he said.

The 57-year-old Imran, who since retiring from cricket has entered politics, was at Lord’s last week to see Pakistan lose the first of their two-Test series against Australia by 150 runs, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.

Commenting on Shahid Afridi’s retirement from Tests after just one game back as Pakistan captain, Imran said Afridi was an example of a fine Twenty20 player who lacked the temperament for the five-day format.

“The only test of a cricketer is the Test match because his talent and technique is tested. In Twenty20, if you are very talented you can get away with it, but a good Twenty20 cricketer will not necessarily excel in Test cricket,” Imran said. (ANI)