Franchise cricket has come in the way of emerging players eyeing an international career, with youngsters becoming more inclined towards playing franchise-based T20 Leagues worldwide. Considering the model is money-minting, the reason behind the tilt is understandable; however, Australia Test Captain Pat Cummins has a solution to this problem.
Cummins has exceeded on all fronts, from playing for Australia and delivering it across formats to winning matches at will in a handful of leagues he plays in. Speaking at MCC World Cricket Connects 2024 at Lord’s lately, Cummins admits that this form of cricket has taken over because it’s more financially rewarding, while the participating players are aware of the windows, managing their calendars effectively.
That, however, is not the case with centrally-contracted international players, who also wish to make a fortune out of it, and often get stuck between picking one.
“Franchise cricket for some countries is more lucrative, more appealing than international cricket,” Cummins said, as quoted by the Sydney Morning Herald. “If I went and played franchise cricket, I could probably be away for a half or a third of the amount we are for Australia.”
Separate windows for IPL, Tests
With the rise of the Indian Premier League over the years, it has become a yardstick for selection, at least in the shortest format, with the best players across all nations willing to partake in the competition. Owing to BCCI’s influence on world cricket, more so for the revenue it generates throughout, no or least international cricket is scheduled during its window.
Given what BCCI and IPL bring to the table, such a change in the overall picture makes sense, and Cummins, who plays in the cash-rich league, feels if there is a separate window for both competitions, it can benefit the players and Test cricket.
“In Australia, you know Test cricket is from November to January, and basically no other cricket is going to get in the way of us playing Test cricket then. If we can have specific windows for IPL but then also Test windows, that makes the decision-making for the players a lot easier,” Cummins continued.
Meanwhile, England white-ball captain Jos Buttler commented on the same, saying international cricket and IPL should take place separately.
“It’s my personal opinion that there shouldn’t be any international cricket that clashes with the IPL. I think that these games have been on the calendar for a long time,” Buttler said to Sky Sports earlier.
(With inputs from agencies)