Mushrooming T20 leagues have turned cricket’s labor market on its head, presenting a scenario where players can earn significantly more from these gigs than they possibly can from international cricket. “We have highlighted flight of talent away from international cricket as a critical issue for the game for several years, and it is now starting to impact on bigger countries, not just the smaller ones,” FICA chief executive Tom Moffat told Reuters. “Solutions to this issue require collective global thinking, collaboration, and compromise, to ensure a balanced global calendar that enables international cricket and domestic leagues to co-exist.”

New Zealand pace bowler Trent Boult may already have set the trend earlier this month when he negotiated a “significantly reduced role” with the national team so he could prioritize Twenty20 cricket. Many prominent West Indies players have turned Twenty20 freelancers, while the top Afghan players are mostly seen in franchise cricket.

Franchise-based Twenty20 leagues, offering fast-paced action and live music often with cheerleaders around, have proliferated especially after the success of the trend-setting Indian Premier League.

Competition among those leagues is only going to raise the money on offer and make them even more attractive for players tiring of the rigors of international cricket. Leading players from top countries are already struggling to cope with the demands of international cricket’s packed calendar.

South Africa’s stumper-batsman Quinton de Kock quit Test cricket last year, while England Test captain Ben Stokes dropped the 50-overs format last month citing an “unsustainable” workload. The International Cricket Council’s Future Tours Programme (FTP) for the next four years promises no respite if anything packing in more international cricket than the previous cycle.

“With this FTP, we have ended up with another situation of everyone wanting more of everything,” Moffat said. “Cricket has a small player employment market it’s the same group of players that are in high demand in both the domestic leagues and international cricket landscapes.” “There is no doubt that the volume of cricket is unlikely to be sustainable for multi-format players, especially in the big countries, moving forward,” Moffat added.

The leagues themselves are jostling with each other in their battle for eyeballs. Come January and two new Twenty20 competitions, in the United Arab Emirates and South Africa, will clash with the Big Bash League and the Bangladesh Premier League.

Asked if ICC should regulate those leagues, Moffat said member boards had always been fiercely protective about their competitions.
“Ultimately the game needs to decide as to whether it wants to come together to meaningfully regulate domestic leagues at a global level through the ICC,” he said. “When these discussions have previously taken place, countries have wanted control over their territories.”

The International League T20 (ILT20), which launches in January, will be the second most lucrative Twenty20 tournament after the trend-setting Indian Premier League (IPL) in terms of player remuneration. The inaugural edition of the six-team competition, however, coincides with another new Twenty20 league in South Africa, Cricket Australia (CA)’s Big Bash League and the Bangladesh Premier League.
Mubashshir Usmani, general secretary of the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) said, “From January 6 to February 12 window for the tournament had been selected because it presented optimal playing conditions in the UAE.�/p>

“While this window suits our purpose, we are closely working with different boards toward minimizing date clashes,” he added. The money on offer at ILT20 has caused some consternation in Australia. It has prompted Cricket Australia (CA) to enter negotiation with its top players to retain them for the Big Bash League, which is scheduled to run between December 13 and February 12. Media reports in Australia said, “CA might block Chris Lynn, who was among the first of a list of marquee names released by ILT20 last week, from joining the league by denying the big-hitting batsman the necessary clearance.â€?/p>

“We are working with Cricket Australia we are in touch with all the relevant cricket boards, to minimize any major clashes,” Usmani said. “We do want Australian as well as any other available players to be involved with the league.” Among the other marquee players announced by the ILT20 were England internationals Moeen Ali, Dawid Malan, and Chris Jordan as well as West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell and Afghan bowler Mujeeb Ur Rahman.

Usmani said that the franchises had been empowered to sign overseas players directly, although the ECB was ready to help. “Our team has been working alongside players, players’ agents, and various boards to seek and secure the necessary approvals for those identified to participate in the league’s inaugural edition,” he said. Although the franchises are likely to be mostly made up of players from outside the Emirates, two local players must feature in every starting team.

Usmani said, “ILT20 was “special” as it afforded players from the UAE, and other associate nations, “an incomparable experience” of sharing the dressing room with top players in “one of the most attractive destinations in the world.” The owners of the Mumbai Indians, Kolkata Knight Riders, and Delhi Capitals teams in the IPL have purchased ILT20 franchises.