“The easy way out is to become a freelance cricketer” - Former India opener’s huge statement on modern-day cricket
Former India opener Abhinav Mukund spoke about the harsh reality of efforts in domestic cricket not bearing fruit at the international level in modern-day cricket. A lot of emphasis has been placed on first-class cricket, but day-by-day players are leaning towards the lucrative world of white-ball franchise cricket.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recently released a set of guidelines, of which one pertained to mandatory participation in domestic cricket. The mandate dictates that efforts in first-class cricket will be a parameter when it comes to selection for the national tea, but the recent selection trends have not aligned with that thought process.
Recently Karun Nair missed out on the Team India squad for the 2025 Champions Trophy despite amassing 779 runs in eight innings in the 2025 Vijay Hazare Trophy. Former wicket-keeper Shreevats Goswami had blamed BCCI for being hypocritical of their guideline.
Abhinav Mukund cited Abhimanyu Easwaran and Sarfaraz Khan as examples, after the duo did not get a single game in the Border-Gavaskar series despite their consistent brilliance in domestic cricket.
"Sarfaraz and Easwaran are among the best in the country in their respective positions. Though the selectors thought they were good enough to make the squad for the Australia series, they weren't picked by the team management for any of the Tests," Mukund wrote in a column for ESPN Cricinfo
He further elaborated on the challenges of red-ball cricket, while admitting that the white-ball route is far easier and in-demand.
"Red-ball cricket is a tough gig. The hours are long and the conditions vary a lot more than in limited-overs cricket. It is more marathon than sprint. Moreover, it is often not as financially lucrative as white-ball cricket, so there is little incentive other than a Test cap to motivate a player," Mukund wrote
"I have no qualms about saying that the easy way out is to become a freelance cricketer in today's world. Players now see potential in becoming white-ball specialists and honing their techniques and skill towards the shorter formats," he added
England opener James Vince recently opted out of first-class cricket for a year due to the England and Wales Cricket Board's (ECB) revamped rules regarding No Objection Certificates (NOC). He recently played in the Big Bash League (BBL), is currently partaking in the International League T20 (ILT20), and will play for the Karachi Kings in the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
"After being on the circuit for over 15 years myself, I struggle to explain the benefits of first-class cricket to a young player" - Former India opener Abhinav Mukund
The former cricketer noted how the Indian Premier League (IPL) has slowly become a launching pad for Test careers rather than the domestic circuit and first-class endeavors.
Recent examples of this case are Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy, who made their Test debut in Australia despite limited first-class cricket under their belt. What worked in their favor was a breakthrough IPL campaign.
"If you look at the Test caps handed to India players since 2019, you can clearly tell their white-ball abilities have had an influence on their Test selection. The vast majority of these players are regulars in their IPL teams. I am not saying this is wrong, but what happens to players looking for Test caps who aren't part of the IPL?" Mukund opined
"You have to admit, it just shows the growing irrelevance of first-class cricket. After being on the circuit for over 15 years myself, I struggle to explain the benefits of first-class cricket to a young player. It's somewhat like explaining a typewriter and its functions to a youngster wielding a smartphone," Mukund concluded
Abhinav Mukund amassed over 10,000 runs in first-class cricket with an average close to 50. However, he could only muster seven Test appearances in total over six years.