"When you sow the seeds, you don't know how big the tree will be" - Aakash Chopra on the T20 leagues' impact on international cricket

Franchise-based leagues like the IPL are flourishing across the world [P/C: iplt20.com]

Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra reckons international cricket might only be played in available windows between an ever-growing number of shorter-format leagues across the world.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) already enjoys an almost exclusive window in the cricketing calendar. With Indian franchises also acquiring teams in other burgeoning leagues, the top players' availability for international cricket will be limited.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra was asked whether the introduction of the Cricket South Africa (CSA) T20 League and UAE T20 League would imply that international cricket will only be played in gaps between such tournaments. He responded affirmatively, saying:

"What you are saying is absolutely correct. When you sow the seeds, you don't know how big the tree will be, you don't know how many branches will go left or right. When T20 cricket came - IPL and the other big leagues - no one knew what exactly will happen."

The cricketer-turned-commentator pointed out that the plethora of leagues is compromising international cricket. He elaborated:

"Now we have reached there where we have the IPL, BBL and The Hundred, the ICC is carving windows for them. Then CSA, the UAE league, CPL, PSL - that's it boss, everyone wants their league and they want the players also for that. International cricket at this point in time is getting squeezed."

Chopra feels other international players might follow Trent Boult's example, with the New Zealand pacer having opted out of his national team contract. Citing the examples of Andre Russell and Sunil Narine, the former Kolkata Knight Riders player added that the West Indies players might be at the top of that list.

"I won't say that" - Aakash Chopra on whether international cricket is dying a slow death

Ben Stokes recently announced his retirement from ODI cricket

Aakash Chopra was also asked whether Boult opting out of contract with the Kiwis and Ben Stokes' recent retirement implies international cricket is dying a slow death. He replied in the negative, reasoning:

"I won't say that international cricket is going to end. It will not end because league cricket is just one format. We always give the example of football but football has only one format and when that got commercialized, leagues took over and countries' sport was left behind."

The decisions that Quinton de Kock, and specifically Trent Boult, have made, point to a future of shorter international careers and more players happy to be part of the gig economy. With young families, it isn't easy to play both, international cricket and T20 leagues.

Chopra reckons the presence of different formats will prevent cricket from going the football way. The former Indian batter explained:

"It then became World Cup to World Cup and friendlies. But international cricket is not like that. Only T20 leagues are there, at the most T10 leagues might happen but Test and ODI cricket are still at the top."

Chopra, however, concluded by acknowledging that one format is likely to go and that the guillotine might fall on ODI cricket soon.