"There are 1.4 billion people and only 11 can play for India, what will the others do?" - Ravi Shastri on bilateral cricket taking precedence
Former Indian player and head coach Ravi Shastri feels that it is 'inevitable' that cricket will end up hosting a franchise-based model, making international cricket, particularly bilateral series, redundant.
The rise of franchise-based leagues all over the globe and their acquisition by established owners have grabbed the attention of international players. Several high-profile players have already ditched their national contracts to become freelance cricketers. They intend to prolong their international careers by partaking in franchise leagues and major international tournaments.
Stating that the opportunity to play franchise cricket around the world will be difficult to turn down for Indian players, Shastri said on ESPNcricinfo's Run Order:
"It is inevitable that cricket will go in that direction, because look at the volume of people in this country. There are 1.4 billion people and only 11 can play for India, what will the others do? What do the other 60-70 players do? If they have an opportunity to play cricket globally across different franchises, they will grab that opportunity, it's common sense."
He continued:
"Nobody will be able to deprive them if they are not contracted by the BCCI. So, what stops them from going?"
The Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises have already created a global mark by acquiring franchises from multiple overseas leagues including South Africa, UAE, West Indies, and the United States.
"We have seen that shift slowly over the last couple of years" - Tom Moody on Indian Premier League franchises growing their market
Former Australian player and coach Tom Moody is also of the notion that franchise cricket taking over the landscape is inevitable in the coming years. The leagues have begun to take up a huge portion of the cricketing calendar, with the ICC forced to carve out a specific window for the IPL given its demands.
Opining that the seismic shift began when the IPL owners began to broaden their horizons, Moody said:
"I think firstly, it is inevitable. We have seen that shift slowly over the last couple of years when we have seen IPL teams look to buy other franchises around the world and the reason why it is starting to be being talked about is because each IPL team, are looking to get a bigger footprint in the game."
He continued:
"It may not financially benefit them, but they are looking at the long-term benefit of having a larger stake in time in the game in the calendar year."
There have been talks of expanding the IPL to close to 100 matches per season from the existing 74-game model. Similarly, other leagues will also look to assert themselves in the market, making it a competitive market and leaving international cricket in its shadow.
Where do you feel the future of cricket is headed? Let us know what you think.