With the Ashes just weeks away, cricket has reached a crossroads. DANIEL CHERNY speaks to stars of yesteryear and today to ascertain what they make of the shifting landscape.
When Jofra Archer was ruled out of the English home summer during the week, there was a palpable sense of disappointment from many cricket purists who bemoaned the fact that the men’s Ashes series would be robbed of one of its top drawcards and destructive players.
But the bigger concern for those who love Test cricket, including former Australian captain Border, is whether Archer and many others will be lost to the format altogether within the next few years.
A Daily Mail report earlier this month that the Indian Premier League’s Mumbai Indians were preparing to offer Archer a multimillion-dollar offer to play year-round for the franchise and its various global offshoots was just the latest in a series of landmark moments in which cricket’s traditional power structure has been turned on its head.
Jofra Archer’s withdrawal from the Ashes has fans disappointed. Picture: Alastair Grant/AFP
The news about England pace ace Archer had followed comments from Rajasthan Royals owner Manoj Badale on the BBC, calling for Test cricket to become a once-a-year “Wimbledon” style event played around the Twenty20 calendar. IPL franchises, owning and operating clubs in multiple leagues around the world, won’t stop at Archer. They are keen to buy the rights to top international players, meaning cricketers would need permission from their clubs to play international cricket, rather than the other way round, as has long been the case.
That Saudi Arabia is also exploring pumping its deep reserves of cash into the IPL only adds to the sense the upcoming Ashes will be played in a very different cricket world to that when Australia is next due to tour England in a duel for the urn in 2027.
In some respects the phenomenon is not new. The West Indies have for many years been denied the services of some of their top players who had preferred to take their talent to the short-form circuit. South Africa has also felt the crunch, while New Zealand – reigning World Test champions for another few weeks – last year ceded star paceman Trent Boult to the riches of the travelling circus.
Tim David in action for the Mumbai Indians, who are rumoured to be offering Archer big money to play in the IPL. Picture: Arun Sankar/AFP
For the legendary Border, one of Australian sport’s most revered figures and widely respected in the cricket world, alarm bells about the game’s future are ringing loudly.
“If you want to ruin the game, let me know now,” Border says bluntly.
“I am a bit concerned. That’s where the Indian cricket board, the BCCI, have a huge role to play. Do they want to be in total control of everything and play two or three IPL seasons per year? That’s where it starts and finishes, the money.
“All the games can survive, but you’ve got to take a little bit of greed out of it. These guys have bought franchises for hundreds of millions of dollars, and they want a return on their investment.
“But half these guys are billionaires, how much money do you want for the sake of ruining the game? Because that’s how I think it will be. I know I’m a traditionalist. For me 20-over cricket is good in short bursts. What we’re at now is saturation point.”
While Australia’s top players have thus far kept signing central Cricket Australia contracts, they are aware the game is changing rapidly, and that the year-round IPL offers, even if only informally, are already coming.
South Africa’s Trent Boult signed with the Rajasthan Royals. Picture: Arun Sankar/AFP
Mitchell Starc has for several years placed family time and national duties ahead of possible millions in the IPL. He told CODE Sports this week that he had been close to signing up for the league this year but wanted to ensure he was in the best possible shape for the Ashes, where he could quite conceivably be in and out of the team anyway.
Starc said at pre-Ashes training camp that if he had been sounded out by IPL clubs for year-round services, his agent hadn’t yet told him about it. But the left-arm speedster, who has 306 Test wickets to his name, is not naive enough to think that some of his teammates won’t soon take the money.
“It’s an interesting crossroads,” Starc says.
“We’ve seen guys get approached. There’s going to be noise there, because teams are acquiring other franchises like Mumbai and KKR (Kolkata Knight Riders).
“Whether it goes down a path like football, where there’s international periods, or you’re asking Mumbai whether you can use Jofra for an Ashes series. I’d like to think kids coming through still aspire to play Test cricket.
“There’s gonna be a group of players that want to chase the money and make quick money as good franchise players. There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s certainly not for me to say what’s right or wrong. For me I’ve always loved playing Test cricket.”
Mitchell Starc was close to signing with the IPL. Picture: Money Sharma/AFP
One only has to look at the fact that Australia will not play a single tour match in England this year to know that T20 is in many respects already winning the day. The WTC final between Australia and India, and then the Ashes, are being jammed into a two-month window to fit around the IPL and a World Cup later this year.
David Warner, fighting for his spot in the team, effectively warmed up for his English assignment with two months trying to bash the ball round in India. Not that long ago people would have been aghast at such a preparation, now it is just standard fare.
Todd Murphy, 22, is just a baby in international cricket terms, having made his debut in India earlier this year. The off-spinner values his baggy green, but is hopeful he can have the best of both worlds in the long-run.
“I think it’s unrealistic to say that T20 cricket looks like it’s not going to take over,” Murphy says.
“I think it’s going to be enticing for people with the money that’s gone into the T20 format, and I think you’re going to see more and more guys go down that path for sure, because it’s so hard to say no to.”
Murphy’s teammate and mentor Nathan Lyon still values Test cricket as No.1.
Alex Carey is confident Cricket Australia will be able to hold rivals at bay. Picture: Sajjad Hussain/AFP
“The way I see it is, yes there’s going to be contracts with big dollars alongside your name to go play the circuit and all that stuff but in my eyes Test cricket is the pinnacle, it always will be the pinnacle,” Lyon says.
“You may be able to hide a little bit in the shorter formats.
“If you show any weakness towards a short ball, you can’t hide in Test cricket.”
Australian Test wicketkeeper Alex Carey is optimistic that CA – which recently increased its pool of central contracts – will be able to hold the raiders at bay.
“I still feel like the guys that I’m playing with, they’re solely focused on winning Test cricket for Australia, whenever the opportunity comes up,” Carey says.
“I feel like our cricket here in Australia is in a really strong position to retain our players.
“I don’t fear for our players being contracted all-year round by franchises. But I feel like there’ll be opportunities for guys to go out and earn big when the time’s right.”
While CA’s recent pay deal led to an uptick in overall Big Bash League salaries, BBL pay days are still only a fraction of what is available in India. A T20 World Cup in the middle of next year has been mooted in cricket circles as a potential jump point for the likes of Warner and white-ball specialists Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Adam Zampa to jump full-time onto the franchise circuit.
The little urn is up for grabs this year, but the big earn might not be far away either.