Pat Cummins, the Australian Test, and ODI captain, has called for a “specific window” for the IPL and Test cricket for the players to prioritise competing in both of them. During the MCC World Cricket Connects 2024 at Lord’s in London, franchise cricket is more lucrative than international cricket in some countries, which is why this change is needed.
In 2023, Pat Cummins led Australia to the World Test Championship and the ODI World Cup titles after defeating India in the finals. Following his unprecedented success as captain at the international level, the Australian fast bowler joined Sunrisers Hyderabad on a million-dollar contract in the IPL 2024, taking them to the final of the tournament.
While speaking at the MCC World Cricket Connects 2024 at Lord’s in London, Pat Cummins addressed the critical matter of franchise cricket taking over the sport in the majority of the world. He said, as per the Sydney Morning Herald, “Franchise cricket for some countries is more lucrative, more appealing than international cricket. If I went and played franchise cricket, I could probably be away for a half or a third of the amount we are for Australia.”
The 31-year-old alluded to the Test summer in Australia at the turn of every year, which could be a template for a specific window for IPL and Test cricket elsewhere. “In Australia, Test cricket is from November to January, and basically, no other cricket is going to get in the way of us playing Test cricket then. If we can have specific windows for IPL, but then also Test windows, that makes the decision-making for the players a lot easier,” he added.
The limited-overs captain of England, Jos Buttler, had earlier spoken about how international cricket shouldn’t clash with the IPL, “It’s my personal opinion that there shouldn’t be any international cricket that clashes with the IPL. I think that these games have been on the calendar for a long time. Of course, leading into a World Cup, your No. 1 priority is playing for England and performing for England. I feel like this is the best preparation.”