What’s the story?
Former New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum warned of an impending threat to international cricket and Test cricket in particular and wants the ICC to fast track the implementation of the proposed Test Championship to bring back interest in the longer format of the game.
"The actual health of the game is outstanding but the perception in some parts of the world is that the entertainment of Test cricket is diminishing. So we're trying to ensure there is context to every Test and we feel the Test Championship would bring that in and we encourage the ICC to continue to bring this to the table," he said.
McCullum was speaking at the MCC World Cricket Committee where former England skipper Mike Brearley also spoke at length about the impact of lucrative T20 leagues across the globe.
"For international cricket to flourish, teams need to be able to field their best players. The committee is worried that with the spread of privately owned T20 leagues and the rapid increase in remuneration, more players from countries lacking the funds to pay their top players well will choose these domestic tournaments ahead of making themselves available for their countries," Brearley was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
"The more this happens, the greater the threat to international cricket, not only to Test cricket but also to ODI and T20s.”
In case you didn’t know...
The issue of pay to cricketers by the national boards has been the hot topic recently with the ODI series between the West Indies and India being overshadowed by the absence of star players like Kieron Pollard, Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo who are ever present in various T20 leagues across the globe.
However, the biggest talking point yet in the matter has been the pay dispute between Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers Association which has left as many as 230 players from Down Under unemployed.
The heart of the matter
Despite the above two scenarios, it was AB de Villiers’ absence from the upcoming four-match Test series against England that drew high attention from both McCullum and Brearley with the latter terming it “a wake-up call” while the former New Zealand International called it “a red flag moment” for Test cricket.
While Brearley cited the rise of T20 leagues as the biggest threat, McCullum, who himself makes his presence felt at such events, felt that the sport’s governing body should act upon making Test cricket more interesting from the viewer’s perspective as he feels that the rest will follow in due course.
Both conceded that international cricket should always hold precedence over league cricket but Brearley fears that a time could come in future where the ICC might have to look at a Test window just like how IPL was fitted in the busy international calendar.
Extra Cover: AB de Villiers to take a call on his cricket future in August
What’s next?
While the likes of India and Australia lead the pack with the IPL and the Big Bash League respectively, T20 leagues like the Caribbean Premier League, the Pakistan Super League, and the Natwest T20 Blast also have a huge fan following.
South Africa are set to join the bandwagon with the introduction of a global T20 league later this year and with the numbers only increasing, there is a viable threat that bilateral series could lose their significance.
Author’s take
The way T20 leagues are mushrooming across the globe is obviously something that will be worrying the ICC. It is hard to blame the players who want to get the best remuneration for themselves and their family in what is a career with a very short span.
The sport’s governing body should look at ensuring the revenue generated from the game is spread more evenly and they have indeed taken a good step in that direction, though the BCCI may have something to say about it.
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