The ICC is addressing the growing concerns surrounding the expansion of franchise cricket by forming a committee to harmonise it with the international cricket calendar.
Key Points
- ICC forms a committee to assess the impact of franchise cricket on the international calendar.
- The rapid expansion of T20 leagues globally threatens the Future Tours Programme (FTP) and international cricket.
- Many players are opting for lucrative T20 franchise careers over international cricket.
- The committee aims to harmonise franchise cricket with the existing international structure.
- Previous ICC committees have suggested capping the number of leagues a player can participate in to honour national commitments.
Alarmed by the rapid spread of franchise cricket across the globe, the ICC board has approved the formation of a committee that will work towards creating a balance that doesn't disrupt the current international calendar.
The Rise of T20 Franchise Leagues
Currently, IPL takes up two months of the yearly calendar, with SA20, ILT20, BBL, BPL, SLPL, The Hundred, and the CPL being prominent leagues across the globe. Add to it, there is the European T20 Premier League, set to commence this year, making it a lucrative career option for quality T20 players who want to turn freelancers.
ICC's Response to Franchise Cricket Expansion
"The Board expressed concern regarding the growing expanse of franchise cricket and resolved to form a committee to assess the harmonisation of franchise cricket with the international calendar within the current structure," the ICC said in a statement.
Impact on International Cricket and Player Choices
The threat is real for countries like the West Indies, where talented players simply want to ply their trade in T20 cricket leagues. One prominent example is of Nicholas Pooran, who retired from international cricket before the age of 30. Heinrich Klaasen is also dominating leagues but has called time on his South African career.
Sunil Narine was never really interested in donning the West Indies jersey, even in T20s.
Future Tours Programme Under Threat
With so many leagues, the Future Tours Programme (FTP) of the ICC pertaining to bilaterals threatens to get affected, apart from India, which doesn't allow its current registered First-Class players to participate in other leagues.
Proposed Solutions for Balancing Cricket Calendars
Earlier, the various ICC committees over the years had proposed that there should be a cap on how many leagues a player can freelance in a particular season and also honour national commitments.
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