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What If Major Cricketing Bodies Scrap T20 Leagues?

image-ljcn9o0hCSK won the IPL 2023 [Source: Twitter]

Cricket has changed by leaps and bounds since its inception in the late 1870s. From uncovered pitches to excellent playing conditions, from lack of basic protective gears to the evolution of neck protectors in helmets, the beautiful game has witnessed a remarkable revolution in every aspect over the years. But apart from the aforementioned areas, another factor that has undergone significant change is the cricketing culture. 

There was a time when international cricket used to rule over the hearts of the masses, as there was no room for franchise cricket. But time has changed, and so have the priorities of the governing bodies, who, unfortunately, visualise T20 leagues as the future going forward. 

As every coin has two sides, franchise cricket culture has its pros and cons. Despite increasing the flow of money and making the cricketing boards richer, leagues have received backlash from the game's biggest stakeholders, the fans, for several reasons. 

So, what if major cricketing bodies think of the bigger picture and decide to scrap their respective T20 leagues? 


No IPL implies less power in BCCI's hands

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), being the richest of all boards, plays a massive role in controlling global cricket. While its initiative, the Indian Premier League, provides the players with a great platform to showcase their skills, it simultaneously makes them money-driven, diverting them from international cricket. 

Furthermore, as BCCI is getting richer, it's influencing the other boards, using money as a lucrative remote control. So, if IPL gets scrapped, there will be less power in BCCI's hands, which is why the apex body of Indian cricket will never ever take such a step. 


Fitter players, better on-field contests

image-ljcnjl51Jam-packed schedule has resulted in frequent injury setbacks [Source: Twitter]

The emergence of franchise cricket has resulted in a jam-packed schedule throughout the year. The marquee players, being the biggest brands of their respective franchises, are bound to participate in these leagues for the sake of their existence. 

But being humans, our bodies have some limitations, and cricketers are no exception. They are bound to sustain multiple injuries if they play throughout the year.

So, in order to keep themselves fit for the leagues, the players skip some international series, considering them less important. On the contrary, upon featuring in every series as well as the T20 leagues, they get injured by compromising their bodies. 

So, if the franchise leagues are scrapped, players can be saved from frequent injury issues, and we can witness first-choice players from every nation taking part in every international series, making the matches worth watching. 


Bigger window for international cricket

If, by any means, franchise cricket culture is abolished, a bigger window will be created for international cricket. With a less packed schedule, we might even see the revival of triangular and quadrangular multinational tournaments. This, in turn, will make international cricket, particularly ODI format, interesting, giving it a much-needed lifeline.