The Indian Premier League (IPL), the Big Bash League (BBL), the SA20, the ILT20, the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), the Pakistan Super League (PSL), and the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) are the principal T20 franchise cricket tournaments that take place during the whole year through the cricket calendar.
At the same time, open discussions are going around that the Champions League T20 (CLT20) will be revived and New Zealand is also thinking of starting a T20 cricket league – NZ20. This situation creates a crowded cricketing calendar. The majority of these leagues last for at least a month, with the exception of the IPL that lasts around two months, and there are rumors that the IPL is going to expand its matches.
Many top players from every participating country are very much involved in the majority of these leagues in addition to their international duties.
Thus, the question arises that, considering the number of T20 leagues played over the year and some of them having expansion plans in terms of teams or matches, what will be the fate of international cricket?
What impact international cricket will have? The issue is raised: in what way will these leagues influence international cricket? The response is very easy: the leagues are so attractive for the players financially, and they are also providing a steady stream of opportunities.
The drawback of international cricket is that it only draws the audience when the top teams are competing. Players from Zimbabwe, the Netherlands, Scotland, Ireland, etc., are not given many chances.
To tell the truth, at present cricket is an exciting affair only when India, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and Pakistan are playing against each other. This trend halts cricket’s development as a global sport.
Annual ICC tournaments cause the global tournaments to lose their value as they should be valued. Not all countries play Test matches, which is again a controversial topic.
If you are a top player from Ireland, Scotland, the Netherlands, Zimbabwe, or any other minor cricket-playing country, it is very unlikely that you would get ample opportunities just by playing international cricket.
What is the reason behind the pull of T20 leagues to the players?
The emergence of T20 leagues will open the door for players from these nations to the worlds of talent exhibiting and securing futures through the leagues. The Dutch all-rounder Bas de Leede was chosen by MI Emirates in the ILT20, and the Irish duo of Josh Little and Mark Adair are also very much in demand in different parts of the world.
There are a lot of instances where players have experienced radical changes in their lives due to participation in T20 leagues. They are given a substantial amount of exposure, just like Lhuan dre Pretorius from South Africa who has now landed an IPL contract after doing exceptionally well in the SA20.
There are several IPL franchises that own teams in various T20 leagues across the globe. Therefore, if a player is performing well in those leagues, he could get the chance to play in the IPL and for the same franchise in multiple leagues.
Also players can choose to play in leagues such as BPL, ILT20, or T10 leagues at the end of their careers which will guarantee them long-term job security.
In the face of all these advantages, why would a player (other than India) voluntarily opt for international cricket where salaries are nowhere near those in franchise leagues and opportunities are also very limited?
What is the solution then?
The first step to this solution would be to find out whether the issue is really that bad at all. The players are going to be the ones who will benefit the most, both in terms of money and opportunities, and the spectators will enjoy non-stop cricket a whole year round.
However, cricket turning into football won’t be that easy. There have been and there will be a lot of dubious leagues operating under the radar, and they need to be kept under close observation. Test cricket will surely be very popular and will have its special place in the sport, but it may even get to the point where only a few top teams will be allowed to play it.
Bilateral series might become extinct altogether or be conducted so rarely that they lose significance. The other international matches, along with the World Cup, would still be considered by the cricket community as the high points of the sport, but today that’s not the case.
For the viewers, one ICC tournament a year is simply not enough. A possible solution could be to do away with the ICC Champions Trophy and T20 World Cup so that the ICC World Cup would be the only ICC event.
It would enhance the rarity of the tournament, but the issue of the teams/players who are going to focus only on T20s for the whole year could arise.
Predicting the future of international cricket is indeed very difficult, but the main trend that can be observed is that the T20 leagues are going to consume most of the cricketing calender, and international cricket will be the one to suffer in some way or the other.
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