The World T20 has ended and it’s time to play some club cricket. It is IPL time.
As the time passes by and as the English summer approaches, the much-talked about debate of club cricket versus international cricket will once again rise to the surface.
There will be comments and recommendations from all parts of the cricketing world about what the players should do and what they should not.
It’s been six to seven years, at least by now everyone should have known that it’s extremely difficult for club cricket and international cricket to co-exist together and it’s time for administrators to set this conundrum fair and square.
If the players have an upcoming international duty in the middle of the league, either they terminate their participation in the league and catch up the international duty or like West Indies players, skip the international duty altogether and continue their participation in the league.
The majority of people have an opinion that national pride is at stake and players should give priority to international duty, which is the right thing to do from my perspective as well.
However, at the same time, you have got to understand the players’ side as well. A player might ask, ‘why should I leave the league half-way if I am being paid so heavily to play?’
To settle this issue, the best thing to do is to separate club and international cricket and play each of them at different times of the year.
T20 Cricket is evolving and undoubtedly the club cricket that is being played in different parts of the world is responsible for it.
These forms have given a new lease of life to cricket and presented the emerging as well as senior players with a platform to showcase their talent and achieve a breakthrough or a comeback into their national sides.
Cricket’s governing body should privatise the T20 format by letting clubs handle it while focusing on Tests and ODIs.
The ICC as the game’s global body should create a window for various leagues like IPL, BBL, CPL and so on.
At the same time, for the well-being of cricket and players, the league organisers should try to make their leagues short and sweet so that they can fit into the schedule without hampering international cricket as well.
For example, IPL that is currently a 50-day long affair should be compressed to a 30-35 day event.
I know that this statement is going to raise the eyebrows of many franchise owners but that is the only way if we wish to balance franchise as well as international cricket.
For instance, with the BBL, Cricket Australia can create a one-month window in their summer from February 15 to March 15 in which BBL can be played.
With international cricket in South Africa and New Zealand also getting over by that time, this kind of window is certainly feasible.
It’s true that cricket is a sport which is being played between two international sides and it should remain to be that way, but club cricket can’t be neglected or taken lightly.
Bakkies
Guest
That's how England do it mixing the 50 over games in with the county champs matches. It also worked for Australia in the past as well.
Craig Swanson
Guest
I was being serious. Silly me. As if CA would ever do something so sensible.
NYCric
Guest
I miss watching Khawaja in action.
Bearfax
Guest
The trouble is that though there is an ICC, there are too many competing interests and money issues, so there is a continuous conflict of cricket forms being played simultaneously around the world. Until the ICC gets full control of the game and creates specific windows for each of the forms to be played world wide during which each form plays exclusively, the problem will continue. Ideally there should be a window of say four months for international T20s, four months for International ODIs and four months for tests. The timing can be cyclic to accommodate northern and southern hemisphere conditions. You could even break it into two month periods. Point is the game internationally needs to be clearly defined so that players who want to play all forms can. Domestic cricket would have its own time schedules to fit the international arrangement. And there should be a requirement that all major teams play at least one series of each against minions every 18-24 months to increase the skill level of those teams and increase international cricket. But until the ICC puts its foot down on individual countries money grabbing schemes which have little regard to cricket elsewhere, this chaos will continue.
Scott Pryde
Expert
I am going to take a stab and say that was sarcasm. As in CA are likely to do that due to their love of the short form.
Craig Swanson
Guest
How do you propose to get a full shield season played in a month. That is what you are implying is it not? I propose that CA plays the Matador Cup and the start of the Shield season concurrently. That way our test players can get to play for their states and get good red ball preparation for the upcoming test season. Will never happen as it is too simple for CA to contemplate. There is no financial gain as well.
Naveen Razik
Roar Pro
I'd like a quarterly window. September to December is Domestic Cricket in the southern Hemisphere (BBL, Shield etc.). January to March is international cricket. then April to June is more domestic cricket in the northern hemisphere (IPL, county cricket), followed by June to September for international cricket.
mds1970
Roar Guru
I can't see a February/March window for BBL happening. A big part of the reason for the BBL's success is that it's played during the peak holiday period. The MCG & SCG Tests won't be changed. But if you want to compress the BBL schedule & have the international players available for at least some of it; one thing that could be worth considering is moving the ODIs to late October/early November, before the Tests. That would enable BBL games to be played every night while it's on; and the Test players would be available to join their BBL teams after the SCG Test. It would also give cricket a meaningful presence in October/Early November; which is currently a bit of a sporting void.
Paul D
Roar Guru
We already do have a window for the IPL. It's happening right now. As for the BBL, it's more profitable and successful to run it during school holidays hence why it won't be moved from Dec/Jan to Feb/Mar.
matthew_gently
Guest
I agree with the sentiment of the article, but can't see any progress ever being made. There are too many vested interests and too much money at stake. A more likely outcome is this: "Cricket Australia can create a one-month window in their summer from February 15 to March 15 in which ALL SHEFFIELD SHIELD AND TEST MATCHES can be played".