The bombshell IPL plot that would change world cricket as we know it
The bombshell IPL plot that would change world cricket as we know it: The IPL has reiterated its ambition to sign international players to 12-month contracts, only weeks after Mike Atherton warned the ICC of the actual threat that franchise cricket poses to the international game.
“In an ideal scenario, yes,” Kolkata Knight Riders CEO Venky Mysore told The Telegraph, “because that provides us the opportunity to make our vision and plan even stronger.
What if we could have X number of players on contract, but could use them in multiple leagues? That would be utopia, in my opinion. We can only hope that it will happen at some point in the future. It may happen, and I wouldn’t be surprised at all.”
Gilchrist
According to former Australian captain Adam Gilchrist, it would be “commercial suicide” for Cricket Australia to allow David Warner to forgo the Big Bash and play in a competing T20 competition elsewhere in the world.
Proteas pulled out of the ODI series in Australia, forfeiting World Cup qualification points so they could have their international players at home for the opening of their new T20 tournament, a few weeks ago.
A precedent would be set for young players if Gilchrist allowed Warner, who is nearing the end of his “excellent career,” to play abroad in order to supplement his income.
Last week, Gilchrist told SEN that “this is the major kicker, isn’t it, of perhaps being bound to the club before or over country for the predominant amount of cricket you play.”
A player like him (Warner) going head-to-head against their own rival would virtually be commercial suicide for CA.”
There will be a great test for me when the new, younger player comes in and begins making those noises.”
When David Warner does not sign a contract with Cricket Australia, it may be the first time in history that he does not receive any compensation from the organisation.”
By saying he will be available for every Test match, one-day international, and T20 international, he demonstrates that he is prepared to play in the national colors whenever he is called upon to.
“As for my club and franchise cricket, I’ll be able to play anywhere I want, knowing that none of those major competitions will conflict with international cricket.”
ODI
Earlier this week, Atherton focused on South Africa’s decision to pull out of their one-day international series against Australia and predicted that franchise cricket would increasingly fill players’ pockets and see them contracted by wealthy owners rather than their countries. Gilchrist’s comments came a fortnight later.
As former England captain Steve Atherton predicted in The Times, “a franchise-dominated world, with annual ICC championships and not much bilateral international cricket or Tests” is on the horizon.
“All of this is excellent news for the players’ bank accounts, but the environment will be drastically different, with players eventually committed to private firms that acquire franchises around the world.
“I was talking to a player’s agent in Birmingham this week about this topic,” says the author. He predicted that England would be the last team remaining in Test cricket. Only the months of June and July are free of Twenty20 competition, making them ideal for Test cricket.
The privatization of the game, particularly at the franchise level, is now beginning to take full effect, according to the Telegraph’s article.
Franchises may lure players to lucrative year-round contracts and, as a result, jeopardize their international availability if they implemented 12-month arrangements.
As a result, the next tier of players may not be able to learn and test their talents against international players if they are on the other side of the world.
They have four teams under their banner today, as reported by The Telegraph: their IPL franchise and a Caribbean Premier League club, the Trinbago Knight Riders; a squad for the International League T20 (UAE); and a team for Major League Cricket (US), both of which will debut next year.
All six franchises of South Africa’s upcoming T20 league will be purchased by IPL teams as international cricket faces increased competition.
The IPL’s ambition to bring the game to a worldwide audience is hindered by the fact that different T20 leagues have varying rules when it comes to signing players.
T20
Only four international players are allowed in an XI in the Indian Premier League, whereas Indian stars are banned from playing in abroad T20 leagues.
Mysore is optimistic that those obstacles will eventually be broken through and believes that England’s The Hundred and Australia’s Big Bash competitions are the next hunting grounds for IPL owners.
Mysore told The Telegraph that he would be delighted if the situation changed in the future.
For us, what we’re trying to construct is a shared platform that allows us to participate throughout the year, while also boosting our brand identity, expanding the fan base, and giving cricketers from across the world opportunity. As a result of that, you can potentially create a lucrative business.”
This is an important component of our plan,” he continued. “Our instant instinct is to say yes, we are definitely interested.” The Big Bash or the Hundred, despite their difficulties in attracting private investment, we believe that these competitions have a lot to offer.
“No matter where we’ve gone, we’ve done good for the league and the Knight Riders at the same time. They come to us with a proposition because they know how to grow those brands, and they realise how valuable the Knight Riders brand and the overall package are.”
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