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

british-muslims-iStock

The study noted that this identification was not due to any doctrinal obligation but was influenced by the perception that many Muslims do not feel fully accepted as British. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Majority of British Muslims identify by faith first, study finds

A STUDY by the Institute for the Impact of Faith in Life (IIFL) has found that most British Muslims identify primarily with their religion rather than their nationality.

The research, based on a survey of 815 British Muslim adults by Whitestone Insight, revealed that 71 per cent of respondents identified as Muslim first, while 27 per cent identified as British, English, or Scottish first.

Keep ReadingShow less
Car Tax Changes: EV Owners Now Required to Pay for the First Time

Owners of electric vehicles registered on or after 1 April 2025 will pay £10 for the first year, followed by the standard VED rate of £195 from the second year. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Car tax changes take effect: EV owners to pay for first time

FROM today, 1 April 2025, electric cars, vans, and motorcycles in the UK will be subject to Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) for the first time.

The change, introduced in the 2022 Autumn Statement by former Conservative Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, aims to make motoring taxation fairer.

Keep ReadingShow less
scotland-minimum-wages-iStock

Full-time workers on the National Living Wage will receive an annual pay increase of £1,400 in real terms. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Wage increase takes effect for thousands of workers in Scotland

HUNDREDS of thousands of workers in Scotland will see a pay increase as new National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage rates take effect from Tuesday.

The changes will benefit approximately 220,000 people, according to STV News.

Keep ReadingShow less
uk-energy-bill-iStock

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

April bill increases put financial strain on single parents

A RANGE of essential household bills are increasing from April, with Citizens Advice warning that single parents will be among the hardest hit.

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased, BBC reported.

Keep ReadingShow less
Netflix drama Adolescence to be screened in UK schools
Stephen Graham and Owen Cooper in 'Adolescence'
Netflix

Netflix drama Adolescence to be screened in UK schools

THE NETFLIX drama Adolescence will be shown in UK secondary schools as part of efforts to address harmful online influences on young boys, officials announced on Monday.

The show has sparked debate over the impact of toxic and misogynistic content on the internet. Prime minister Keir Starmer met the show's creators, charities, and young people at Downing Street, calling the initiative an important step in starting discussions about the content teenagers are exposed to online.

Keep ReadingShow less