Will players turn down lucrative T20 contracts for international cricket? Brendon McCullum opines
T20 cricket has taken over the cricketing world, with the domestic leagues playing the cricketers more than international cricket. Meanwhile, Brendon McCullum feels that players turning down T20 contracts for international cricket will be naive to think.
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As far as cricket is concerned nowadays, it is Twenty20 (T20) cricket that is ruling the sport, while the influx of domestic franchise T20 leagues globally has changed the complexion of the sport and made it more fast-paced. Also, the success of these T20 leagues has seen a heavy inflow of money into these events, making them lucrative.
While international cricket is still given the utmost importance, some players need help deciding between cash-rich T20 contracts and international cricket, with the latter paying relatively less. Meanwhile, England Test head coach Brendon McCullum feels the sport is heading the football way, where the former would be given utmost importance in the future.
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Talking to Sen Radio, Brendon McCullum said, "In the end, the game is going in a different direction. In the last few years, there's been a shifting of the sand somewhat around international cricket, and we'd be completely naive to think that players would turn down vast amounts of money on long-term contracts for a lot less work in these T20 leagues because they should be playing international cricket. Those days are fast approaching to be over."
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"So, what you've got to do is you've got to work with these players, you got to work with these leagues and try and allow ideally players to have their cake and eat it too because you want your best players playing [in international cricket]. It's not good enough to say. If they don't want to play international cricket for us, bugger them. We'll move on and find someone different because, as a spectator, you want to see the best players in the world representing their countries. I think you've got to work with them, and that's something which we'll be challenged with," added McCullum.
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"From our point of view, how do we ensure that when that decision [to play in T20 leagues over international cricket] comes, they're thinking about how great of a time they have represented the England Test side? How much fun they've had and how much those experiences they've been able to get in an England shirt are so great that they are prepared to continue to put their yards, even though it might not be as financially viable as some others leagues," McCullum concluded.
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