MCC recommends to “save international cricket” amid rise of franchise cricket; says “only IPL commands a window to avoid international clash”
Solely for entertainment purposes, the T20 format was introduced, and the impact of this format seen in fans is precisely the reason why such a format is now the most-watched format in the world.
Many of you may not know that the epic success of the 2007 T20 World Cup tournament paved the way for the entry of several franchise cricket leagues across the world.
And just a year after the 2007 T20 World Cup, the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) launched its own franchise cricket league, the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Similarly, several other top countries came forward to give competition and came up with their own T20 cricket leagues, which also turned out quite successful.
Let’s take a look at the best T20 cricket leagues:
- Indian Premier League
- Big Bash League
- T20 Blast
- Pakistan Super League
- Caribbean Premier League
- Bangladesh Premier League
- Lanka Premier League
- Afghan Premier League
- SA20 League
- UAE International League T20
‘INTERVENE URGENTLY’
Several cricket chiefs have been urged by the body (MCC World Cricket Committee) to ‘intervene urgently’ to make sure that the international game can thrive alongside the booming franchise competitions.
The committee, which includes current and former players, acknowledged the increased playing opportunities and financial health of the game but said it was vital to make it sustainable in the long term.
Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly stressed the importance of Tests at the World Cricket Committee meeting in Dubai.
The global body issued a statement and said that the men’s cricket schedule in 2023 was “saturated” with franchise competitions. It overlapped with other international series,” says the WCC.
“Only IPL (Indian Premier League) a Twenty20 competition commands a window to avoid international clashes of the domestic tournaments,” the WCC added.
There are many top-class cricketers who have announced or are planning to announce retiring from the 50-over format citing an “unsustainable” schedule or “to spend more time with the family and make more room in the schedule for franchise cricket”.
| Upcoming T20 Leagues 2023 And 2024 Schedule, Fixtures | ||
| PERIOD | MATCH DETAILS | VENUE |
| Feb – March 2023
| Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2023 Feb 13 – Mar 19, 2023 | Matches: 34 T20s Venue: India |
| March – March 2023
| Legends League Cricket 2023 Feb 13 – Mar 19, 2023 | Matches: 8 T20s Venue: India |
| Mar – May 2023
| Indian Premier League (PSL) 2023 Mar 31 – May 28, 2023 | Matches: 74 T20s Venue: India |
| May – June 2023
| T20 Blast 2023 May 20 – July 15, 2023 | Matches: TBA T20s Venue: England |
| July 2023
| Major League Cricket (MLC) 2023 July 13- July 30, 2023 | Matches: 34 T20s Venue: United States |
| August 2023
| Hundred Mens Competition 2023 Aug 01- Aug 27, 2023 | Matches: 32 100-Ball Cricket Venue: United States |
‘OVERLAP AND CONGESTION’
“This happens every time and continued overlap and congestion is witnessing a rise in 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,” the body said in its statement issued last week on Thursday, March 9, 2023.
The WCC said the issue of overlap between domestic leagues and international cricket in the women’s game was not a problem currently but still recommended the boards to find an “optimal balance” between the two.
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly, a WCC member, also said Test cricket remained the “biggest platform and 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 said.
| Major T20 Leagues Around the World – Men’s Current | ||
| COUNTRY | TOURNAMENT | PERIOD |
| Afghanistan | Shpageeza Cricket League (SCL) | 2013–present |
| Australia | Big Bash League (BBL) | 2011–present |
| Bangladesh | Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) | 2012–present |
| England | T20 Blast | 2003–present |
| Ireland, Netherlands, Scotland | Euro T20 Slam (GT20S) | 2022–present |
| India | Indian Premier League (IPL) | 2008–present |
| New Zealand | Super Smash | 2005–present |
| Pakistan | Pakistan Super League (PSL) | 2016–present |
| South Africa | CSA T20 Challenge | 2003–present |
| South Africa | SA20 | Planned from 2023 |
| Sri Lanka | Lanka Premier League (LPL) | 2020–present |
| Nepal | Nepal T20 League | Planned from 2022 |
| United States | Major League Cricket (MLC) | Planned from 2023 |
| United Arab Emirates | International League T20 (ILT20) | Planned from 2023 |
| West Indies | Caribbean Premier League (CPL) | 2013–present |
‘A WHOLE NATION CARES’
A former Australia opener, coach, and fellow member Justin Langer said, “The difference between international cricket and domestic T20 cricket is that the whole nation cares when their country is involved”.
Read more:- IND vs AUS: India wins Border-Gavaskar series 2-1, reaches WTC final
“The best players’ statistics are measured at the international level like we all know that India’s Sachin Tendulkar scored 100 international centuries and Sri Lanka’s Muralitharan took 800 Test wickets,” Langer added.
The growth of leagues is putting a lot of stress on the ICC’s Future Tours Programme (FTP), leading to an “alarming disparity” in the number of matches played by a minority of member nations which is neither “equitable nor sustainable”, the body added.
While the Big 3 – India, Australia, and England — get the lion’s share of international assignments, the smaller Test-playing nations like Afghanistan, Ireland, and Zimbabwe, among others, receive a raw deal because of the extremely tight FTP.
| Men’s Former | ||
| COUNTRY | TOURNAMENT | PERIOD |
| Afghanistan | Afghanistan Premier League (APL) | 2018 |
| Australia | KFC Twenty20 Big Bash | 2005–2011 |
| Pakistan | Super-8 T20 Cup | 2011–2015 |
| Canada | Global T20 Canada (GT20) | 2018–2019 |
| South Africa | Mzansi Super League (MSL) | 2018–2019 |
| Sri Lanka | Inter-Provincial Twenty20 | 2008–2016 |
| West Indies | Caribbean Twenty20 | 2010–2013 |
| West Indies | Stanford 20/20 | 2006–2008 |
| Zimbabwe | Stanbic Bank 20 Series | 2006 |
| World | International 20:20 Club Championship | 2005 |
| World | Abu Dhabi T20 Trophy | 2018 |
| World | Champions League Twenty20 (CLT20) | 2009–2014 |
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