In the latest developments, it has come to notice that Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises have proposed multi-million pound yearly contracts to six prominent England cricketers, with a condition for them to retire from international cricket.
Notably, the increasing popularity of T20 leagues worldwide has made it challenging for cricketers to manage their commitments to both franchise cricket and national obligations. The recent instance is of English star Ben Stokes, who retired from ODI cricket in July last year, citing the demanding schedule as unsustainable for him to participate in all three formats.
One of the biggest reason behind IPL franchises making such request is their presence in many tournaments, including SAT20 in South Africa, Caribbean Premier League (CPL) in West Indies, Global T20 League in UAE and the upcoming Major League T20 in the USA.
However, the report published in the ‘Times London’ didn’t name players who according to the English media have been approached by the IPL franchises. It also claimed that the offer for players could come following the end of this year.
“Initial discussions have taken place after at least six English players, including some international stars, were approached by IPL franchise owners and asked whether, in principle, they would accept a deal that would make an Indian team their main employer, rather than the ECB or an English county,” read the report.
“This development follows discussions among players’ unions around the world about the potential implications of 12-month franchise contracts, which would be a significant step towards the football model of elite players being primarily contracted to their team and released for international duty, rather than the other way around. One source told The Times that contract offers could come as soon as the end of the year,” the report added.
It is worth mentioning that the International Cricket Council (ICC) has the right to put a limit on the number of leagues a player can participate, it can’t stop cricketers taking retirement and then playing for different tournaments. The only stumbling block in this situation could be obtaining a ‘No Objection Certificate’ (NOC) from the cricket board of any player’s respective country.
