Australian legend Ricky Ponting feels the International Cricket Council has a role to ensure that players from smaller Test-playing nations are paid well for their services in the five-day format. 

Ponting gave the example of West Indies cricketers, who tend to choose franchise cricket over international duty for financial reasons. Simultaneously, he revealed, "Talks are also on within the ICC to address the issue and reduce the pay disparity ultimately."

In an event organized by the ICC ahead of the World Test Championship final between India and Australia at the Oval from 7th June, Ponting was asked whether youngsters are eager to play the five-day game in an era of T20 leagues and in reply, the former Australian captain explained, "That question has a different answer in different countries. It has become increasingly difficult to groom the youngsters in the Caribbean for instance, who want to chase the dream of playing Test cricket."

He added, "Their payment system in the Caribbean compared to some of the franchise leagues, it does not match up and Sri Lanka will be the same and Bangladesh will be the same. It is not the case in India, England, and Australia. You are paid well to play Test cricket for your country and most aspire to play the Test match game. There is a role to play for the ICC here."

Pointing's advice is, "Make the payments a bit more even across international Test cricket to attract players from these different countries who want to play for their country," he said.

"It is something that has been spoken about at a very high level at the ICC to help that, but in India, the feeling I get is that most of these youngsters aspire to wear the baggy blue cap and the same in Australia," Ponting concluded.