Australian wicketkeeper Brad Haddin called time on his international Twenty20 career Thursday to focus on one-day and Test cricket. Haddin played 25 times for Australia in Twenty20s — the last time against Sri Lanka in Kandy during the early stages of the current tour. He said a number of factors contributed to his decision. “I thoroughly enjoy Twenty20 cricket and have taken great pride from playing all three forms of the game for Australia,” he said. “However, I feel the time is now right for me to concentrate on Test and one-day cricket. “This decision has been made to prolong my effectiveness in these formats and provide me further time to prepare for the demands of one-day and Test cricket.” Champions T20 faces crucial test The third edition of the Champions League Twenty20 gets under way in Bangalore Friday with the tournament struggling to carve a niche for itself and experts blaming the short format of the game for increased injuries. The 19-day tournament, featuring top domestic Twenty20 teams from around the world, comes immediately after India's disastrous tour of England, adding to the challenge for organizers hoping to popularize the tournament. Organizers were left looking for a last-minute replacement for title sponsorship as India went from the high of a World Cup victory to the low of an England tour on which it failed to win a single game. In between, India organized the six-week IPL that has been blamed for fatigue and injury to its players.
