New Delhi: With T20 franchise leagues rising all over the world and eating into an already hectic cricketing schedule, former Australia skipper Ian Chappell feels that the entire cricketing structure, especially the schedule, urgently needs a meticulous but optimistic inquest.
“The whole cricket structure, especially the schedule, is in need of a thorough but positive inquisition with the game’s future in view. There is also the glaring matter of the lack of partnership between players and administrators.”
“Surely it shouldn’t be – as it is currently – a matter of the administrators deciding the programme without any input from international players,” wrote Chappell in his column for ESPNCricinfo on Sunday.
Chappell thinks that proliferation of T20 leagues will cause a huge breakdown of future scheduling in the cricketing world. In 2023, two new T20 leagues in UAE’s ILT20 and South Africa’s SA20 will be running their inaugural editions from January, clashing with Australia’s Big Bash League (BBL) and Bangladesh’s Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).
“If the international programme evolved as a result of consideration from such a partnership, then it would be much more palatable than the abomination that is the current schedule. T20 leagues are popping up faster than weeds in summer and an already implausible programme is headed for an almighty implosion.”
Due to many T20 leagues operating in the cricketing world, players are now required to pick and choose in the tournaments they wish to play and skip. Chappell pointed out that this trend will lead to some leagues not having star power and will affect their financial viability in the long run.
“T20 leagues now clash with each other and star players are signing longer-term contracts with expanding IPL clubs. These contradictions mean there will be a growing problem of how to produce greater numbers of marketable cricketers.”
“In the current environment some leagues won’t be able to sign the limited number of star players available and this could eventually damage the ability to remain financially viable. These are all matters that need urgent attention but the big one is to ensure the players have a voice in the game’s future.”
–IANS
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