Dhaka [Bangladesh] May 24 : The Federation of International Cricketers' Association President Lisa Sthalekar conveyed her concern that the men's international calendar could reach a tipping point unless a solution is found quickly.
The rise of franchise cricket now consumes a considerable portion of the calendar with every passing year. Numerous IPL franchises are in talks with overseas players for a long-term contract. This would essentially make the franchises their main employer rather than the board of the country that they play for.
As per ESPN Cricinfo, The FICA president is worried that it is reaching a breaking point. Although, she has acknowledged the growth and benefits of T20 cricket. Sthalekar is currently in Dhaka at the invitation of the Cricketers' Welfare Association of Bangladesh for a three-day visit.
"The game is changing at a rapid rate. These conversations have been happening for a while behind closed doors [between the ICC, the cricket boards and FICA]. We are getting to a point where things may break, I know that the ICC is speaking to the national boards. We are speaking to the ICC as well. We have to wait and see how that happens."
"We all see the benefit of T20 cricket. We understand players have a small window to maximise their earnings. A lot of our players are enjoying playing bilateral cricket, ICC events and the T20 leagues. We understand that the men's calendar is getting quite big. We are urging the ICC and national boards to come together because it is not a solution that can be solved straight away. Certainly, the players would like to play a role in that, to see if there's a way forward for everyone to have their cake and eat it as well." Sthalekar added.
Sthalekar further pointed out that national boards want to keep their star players for international cricket. She also indicated that the FICA is working with ICC to come up with a solution.
"The challenge is not for FICA; it is the national boards wanting to keep their players to play for the country, Ideally, we want a strong competition internationally where countries want their best players to play against each other. We are seeing a number of leagues come up, which clash with bilateral cricket."
"Men's calendar is getting pretty full. We are working with the ICC. We are happy to work with the national boards. We represent a big proportion of players that travel around the world. We want to make their decisions easier so that they don't have to choose one or the other." She concluded.
Sthalekar's Dhaka visit also includes a meeting with some of the eminent Women cricketers including Bangaldesh Women's team skipper Nigar Sultana and star bowler Jahanara Alam.
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