NEW DELHI: When it comes to T20 leagues across the world, IPL emerges as the biggest player in the market and its success is leading other cricketing nations to launch their leagues, but former India captain Sourav Ganguly believes that “only a few financially viable leagues are going to survive.
Players have started prioritizing franchise cricket over national duty with T20 leagues springing up around the world.
THE Big Bash Leaguewhich is an established product, has just ended as inaugural leagues are currently being held in the United Arab Emirates and South Africa.
A league is also planned in the United States later this year.
However, Ganguly said that in the long run only leagues with an ecosystem will survive.
“We keep talking about leagues around the world, if you look at the IPL it’s in a different ecosystem and a different league, the Big Bash in Australia is doing really well, the hundred done very well in the UK and I see the South African league doing very well, I’ve been watching it for three weeks,” he said at a Sportstar event here.
“The common thing for all of these leagues is that they are in countries where cricket is popular. So I think over a period of time, four five years, it’s going to get to the stage where very few will exist and I know which will exist.
“Some (leagues) will stay and some will move away because the players will realize it’s not that important. At the moment they are new and everyone wants to be in them, so you see the rush.
“But eventually it will come back to a stage where the country is as important as the league because only a few will survive because of the ecosystem.”
Zimbabwe were once a force to be reckoned with in world cricket in the 90s, but cricket declined in the country due to administrative issues.
“It has a lot to do with administration (struggling teams in international cricket). I keep saying that I was chairman of CAB for five years and then chairman of BCCI for three years and represented India at ICC, I saw the whole structure and support system that makes the game possible,” he said.
“I remember I played my first world cup in 1999, Zimbabwe could beat anyone. I’m sure Zimbabwe cricket didn’t have much money back then, even the India didn’t have that much money.
“The West Indies, days of Michael Holding, Andy Roberts and Joel Garner, where was the money? There were none. Administration is very important to retain players.
“If the relationship between the players and the administrators is good, a lot of problems can be solved. Cricket has a lot more money now, I don’t think money is the problem. You have to keep the players to play for. the country .”
(With PTI inputs)
Players have started prioritizing franchise cricket over national duty with T20 leagues springing up around the world.
THE Big Bash Leaguewhich is an established product, has just ended as inaugural leagues are currently being held in the United Arab Emirates and South Africa.
A league is also planned in the United States later this year.
However, Ganguly said that in the long run only leagues with an ecosystem will survive.
“We keep talking about leagues around the world, if you look at the IPL it’s in a different ecosystem and a different league, the Big Bash in Australia is doing really well, the hundred done very well in the UK and I see the South African league doing very well, I’ve been watching it for three weeks,” he said at a Sportstar event here.
“The common thing for all of these leagues is that they are in countries where cricket is popular. So I think over a period of time, four five years, it’s going to get to the stage where very few will exist and I know which will exist.
“Some (leagues) will stay and some will move away because the players will realize it’s not that important. At the moment they are new and everyone wants to be in them, so you see the rush.
“But eventually it will come back to a stage where the country is as important as the league because only a few will survive because of the ecosystem.”
Zimbabwe were once a force to be reckoned with in world cricket in the 90s, but cricket declined in the country due to administrative issues.
“It has a lot to do with administration (struggling teams in international cricket). I keep saying that I was chairman of CAB for five years and then chairman of BCCI for three years and represented India at ICC, I saw the whole structure and support system that makes the game possible,” he said.
“I remember I played my first world cup in 1999, Zimbabwe could beat anyone. I’m sure Zimbabwe cricket didn’t have much money back then, even the India didn’t have that much money.
“The West Indies, days of Michael Holding, Andy Roberts and Joel Garner, where was the money? There were none. Administration is very important to retain players.
“If the relationship between the players and the administrators is good, a lot of problems can be solved. Cricket has a lot more money now, I don’t think money is the problem. You have to keep the players to play for. the country .”
(With PTI inputs)
