Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has expressed his concerns regarding the rising influence of franchise cricket leagues on the global cricketing landscape. His remarks came in response to New Zealand’s opening batter, Devon Conway, opting out of the upcoming series against Sri Lanka to focus on playing in franchise leagues.
Ali highlighted the growing trend of cricketers prioritizing lucrative franchise contracts over representing their national teams. He pointed out that this trend could lead to the decline of traditional formats like Test cricket, with only India seemingly immune to this phenomenon due to the BCCI’s policy that restricts Indian players from participating in foreign franchise leagues.
‘T20 is not going to stop, but will destroy cricket’ – Basit Ali
“Conway has said that he will not play the Sri Lanka series. This is not New Zealand’s issue alone. In times to come, other teams will also face a similar situation. Pakistan players will do this as well. This is because so much money has come into franchise cricket. There is phobia over franchise leagues. India is very lucky in this matter. They don’t play T20 tournaments other than the IPL. T20 is not going to stop, but will destroy cricket, Test cricket in particular. For solid batters, who play the long innings, this is poison. Barring India, many more countries will suffer due to T20 cricket. Money will win, cricket will lose,” Ali commented in a video on his YouTube channel.
Conway is not the first New Zealand cricketer to make such a move. Previously, players like Finn Allen, Kane Williamson, and Trent Boult also declined their central contracts, raising concerns about the future of the BlackCaps in international cricket.
In an interview with the ICC’s official website, Conway acknowledged that while franchise leagues are currently the best option for him and his family, he remains committed to representing New Zealand at the international level. “Playing for the Black Caps is still the pinnacle for me and I’m hugely passionate about representing New Zealand and winning games of international cricket,” Conway stated.
Notably, Conway has opted out of New Zealand’s central contract to take up a casual playing contract for the next 12 months, with plans to participate in the SA20 at the beginning of 2025.
