Nearly 40% of international cricketers, according to the Federation of International Cricketers’ Association (FICA), would rather participate in franchise T20 leagues than international cricket. Over the past few years, the discussion of franchise T20 leagues taking over the majority of the international cricket calendar has been a major topic of conversation in the cricketing community. 

The FICA report has shed light on the impact that the emergence of new T20 leagues has had on international cricket.

A further 42% of international players are currently playing at least one T20 league overseas and have expressed their desire to play in both franchise and international leagues, in addition to the 40% of players who prefer T20 leagues. The majority of the 400 international cricketers who responded to the FICA survey came from 11 different nations. Pakistani and Indian players were not included in the survey because neither nation has a functioning players’ association affiliated with FICA.

The report also referred to players that can be considered free agents in the cricketing world.

“Some of the individuals playing for three teams or more represent a potential new category of free-agent player ‘The league specialists’ – many of whom have limited international careers, including playing very little Test cricket, with their primary focus being in the Domestic Leagues landscape,”

the report stated.

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To extend their careers in the game’s shortest format, numerous players have chosen to either retire from a specific international cricket format or give up central contracts in recent years. Ben Stokes, the England Test captain, retired from ODI cricket, Quinton de Kock, Mohammad Amir, and Martin Guptill, Trent Boult, and Jimmy Neesham all canceled their central contracts with New Zealand cricket. Mohammad Amir also took an early retirement from international cricket.

As more franchise T20 leagues are established over the course of the next few years, the player’s preference for international cricket is likely to decrease even further.