IPL changed cricket, "football model" not far, feels Pat Cummins
Australian Test captain Pat Cummins feels that the Indian Premier League (IPL) has quickened cricket's transformation towards the football model, where players take full-time contracts with franchises and need their permission to play for their countries.
The fast bowler also admitted that soon it might be a "challenge" to attract good players to play for Australia as much as they do now.
Cummins called for stakeholders to think "quite deeply" and start adapting to the fast-changing landscape.
"It's been coming for a while, but I think it is here now," Cummins told Sydney Morning Herald. "International cricket doesn't have a monopoly on players' time, like it did in the past. The IPL changed that a decade ago, but there's just going to be more and more content that creeps in, so I think we've got to be proactive about that."
"We have to keep making playing for Australia as special as we can, keeping a high performance to get every single player wanting to play for Australia as much as we can," he added. "That's going to be the challenge. I think it's upon us now, and we've got to start thinking about that quite deeply. I think fast-forward a few years' time, a 12-month international calendar might look a little bit different."
Many international players, most notably New Zealand pacer Trent Boult, have recently opted out of the central contracts of their countries' boards to play as freelancers in T20 leagues around the world.
Five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians (MI) also reportedly offered English pacer Jofra Archer a full-time contract. In that, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) would need MI's approval to use Archer's services in international matches.
Cummins, on the other hand, skipped IPL 2023 to take some time off and prepare for international cricket.
"I don't think you can blame players" - Pat Cummins
Pat Cummins added that although Australia wants the best players to still prefer international cricket, they can't blame the latter if they think otherwise.
"When you're talking about some of the opportunities that may be provided through the franchises, I don't think you can blame players that might take that option," he said. "I see the day where that (a franchise release) happens. I think it's reality. You've seen it in other sports."
"We still want the best players winning World Cups for us, winning big series," Cummins added. "But obviously, there are more competing interests than there were in the past. That's why things are starting to quicken up, and it's moving towards a more world football model, where you play for your club, employed by your club, and you get released to play for your country."
Cummins will lead Australia in the World Test Championship (WTC) final against India, starting at the Oval on Wednesday, June 7.