Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Players prioritising T20 leagues hardly a Boult from the blue

England talisman Ben Stokes quit the 50-overs format last month citing an “unsustainable” workload.

Players prioritising T20 leagues hardly a Boult from the blue

Trent Boult giving up his New Zealand Cricket contract is another sign of a revolution sweeping through the game -- a change happening not at the leisurely pace of a test match but at the breakneck speed of a Twenty20 inning.

A key figure in the teams that won the inaugural World Test Championship and finished runners-up in three limited overs World Cups, Boult will from now on have a "significantly reduced role" with the Black Caps.


The left-arm quick requested the release from his contract so he could spend more time with his young family but, a New Zealand Cricket (NZC) statement said, the 33-year-old also wanted to make himself available for "domestic leagues".

A crammed international calendar in three formats of the game and the added strain of playing in biosecure bubbles during the COVID-19 pandemic have pushed players like Boult to breaking point.

England talisman Ben Stokes quit the 50-overs format last month citing an "unsustainable" workload, while South Africa's Quinton de Kock dropped test cricket last year.

All three have, however, found time to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL), the trailblazer of the lucrative Twenty20 "domestic leagues" now proliferating around the world.

"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," tweeted commentator Harsha Bhogle.

"With young families, it isn't easy to play both, international cricket and T20 leagues."

Mushrooming franchise cricket, including upcoming leagues in the United Arab Emirates and South Africa, is making it an easy choice for some players.

Bhogle said it would be unfair to criticise players who prioritise franchise cricket for "greed and opportunism".

"Do remember cricketers finish their playing careers when most others are entering their best phase," he added. "And we change jobs that offer more money and convenience, no?"

GUNS-FOR-HIRE

Several West Indies players have effectively turned into Twenty20 freelancers, earning a lot more from franchise cricket than they could have to play international cricket.

The uncertainty around the availability of their key players has frustrated West Indies chief coach Phil Simmons ahead of this year's Twenty20 World Cup in Australia.

"It hurts. There's no other way to put it," an exasperated Simmons said on Wednesday.

"But what can you do? I don't think that I should be begging people to play for their countries."

NZC chief executive David White ruled out more New Zealand cricketers following Boult's example.

"They are still talking about test cricket - and performing for New Zealand - as being incredibly important," White told Cricinfo website.

"The other thing is that if you are going to get a big offer from a big league, you've got to be a successful international cricketer."

The International Cricket Council (ICC) discussed the growth of T20 leagues in its annual general meeting in Birmingham last month but anyone looking to them for leadership might be disappointed.

The governing body has put the onus on the member board

(Reuters)

More For You

ve-day-getty

VE Day 80 street parties, picnics and community get togethers are being encouraged to take place across the country as part of the Great British Food Festival. (Photo: Getty Images)

Public invited to attend VE Day 80 procession and flypast

THE 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day will be marked with a military procession in London on May 5.

The event will include over 1,300 members of the Armed Forces, youth groups, and uniformed services marching from Parliament Square to Buckingham Palace.

Keep ReadingShow less
Knife crimes

Knife-enabled crimes include cases where a blade or sharp instrument was used to injure or threaten, including where the weapon was not actually seen.

Getty Images/iStockphoto

Knife crime in London accounts for a third of national total: ONS

KNIFE-RELATED crime in London made up almost a third of all such offences recorded in England and Wales in 2024, with the Metropolitan Police logging 16,789 incidents, according to figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on Thursday.

This amounts to one offence every 30 minutes in the capital and represents 31 per cent of the 54,587 knife-enabled crimes reported across England and Wales last year. The total number marks a two per cent rise from 53,413 offences in 2023.

Keep ReadingShow less
Starmer and Modi

Starmer and Modi shake hands during a bilateral meeting in the sidelines of the G20 summit at the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Brazil, on November 18, 2024.

Getty Images

Starmer calls Modi over Kashmir attack; expresses condolences

PRIME MINISER Keir Starmer spoke to Indian prime minister Narendra Modi on Friday morning following the deadly attack in Kashmir’s Pahalgam region that killed 26 people on Tuesday.

According to a readout from 10 Downing Street, Starmer said he was horrified by the devastating terrorist attack and expressed deep condolences on behalf of the British people to those affected, their loved ones, and the people of India. The two leaders agreed to stay in touch.

Keep ReadingShow less
 Post Office Horizon

A Post Office van parked outside the venue for the Post Office Horizon IT inquiry at Aldwych House on January 11, 2024 in London, England. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Post Office spent £600m to keep Horizon despite plans to replace it: Report

THE POST OFFICE has spent more than £600 million of public funds to continue using the Horizon IT system, according to a news report.

Despite deciding over a decade ago to move away from the software, the original 1999 contract with Fujitsu prevented the Post Office from doing so, as it did not own the core software code, a BBC investigation shows.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pahalgam attack: Prayer meet held at Indian mission in London

The prayer meet was led by Indian High Commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami

Pahalgam attack: Prayer meet held at Indian mission in London

Mahesh Liloriya

A PRAYER meet was held at the Gandhi Hall in the High Commission of India in London on Thursday (24) to pay respects to the victims of the Pahalgam terrorist attack.

Chants of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ rang out at the event which was led by Indian High Commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami.

Keep ReadingShow less