Cricket chiefs have been urged by the MCC World Cricket Committee to intervene urgently to make sure the worldwide recreation can thrive alongside booming franchise competitions.
The committee, which incorporates former and present gamers, acknowledged the elevated taking part in alternatives and monetary well being of the sport however stated it was important to make it sustainable in the long run.
A press release issued by the physique stated the lads’s cricket schedule in 2023 was “saturated” with franchise competitions, which competed and overlapped with worldwide collection.
“Of the domestic tournaments, only the Indian Premier League (Twenty20 competition) commands anything like a window to avoid international clashes,” the WCC stated.
The glut of cricket throughout the globe is a rising difficulty for prime gamers.
England Test captain Ben Stokes cited an “unsustainable” schedule when he introduced final yr that he was retiring from the 50-over format.
New Zealand bowler Trent Boult requested to be launched from his contract with the Black Caps to spend extra time along with his household and make extra room in his schedule for franchise cricket.
The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) nonetheless has international duty for cricket’s legal guidelines however the function of the WCC is to debate the primary points within the recreation.
“Continued overlap and congestion will see an increasing number of players forced to choose between club and country, which will threaten the ‘best v best’ status that is so critical to the success and appeal of international cricket,” it stated in its assertion issued on Thursday.
The WCC stated the problem of overlap within the girls’s recreation between worldwide cricket and home leagues was not presently an issue however urged boards to search out the “optimal balance” between the 2.
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly, a WCC member, stated Test cricket remained the “biggest platform”.
“That should always continue to be the pinnacle and I am sure that countries will give importance to it and find the right balance between franchise cricket and Test cricket,” he stated.
Fellow member Justin Langer, a former Australia opener and coach, stated, “The difference between international cricket and domestic T20 cricket is that the whole nation cares when their country is involved. The best players’ statistics are measured at international level.”
Source: sportstar.thehindu.com