Pat Cummins calls for specific windows for IPL and Test cricket – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Australia’s Test and ODI captain Pat Cummins has demanded that the unrelenting cricket schedule be fixed, stating that players’ decision-making will be facilitated by having designated windows for both playing in the longest format and the IPL.

Cummins delivered a speech this week at the MCC World Cricket Connects 2024, which took place at Lord’s.

“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.”

“In Australia you know 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,” Cummins was quoted as saying by The Sydney Morning Herald, according to IANS.

Meg Lanning, the captain of Australia’s women’s cricket team and multiple World Cup winner, believed that elite players could no longer play both international cricket and league cricket simultaneously.

“The reality is in my view that you can’t be playing everything these days, both internationally and domestically as one of the top players. I think it’s too much. And while it might seem fine initially and for a few years, I think it’s just inevitable that you’ll get burnt out doing that,” she said.

During the meeting, Cricket Australia Chairman Mike Baird discussed concerns over the viability of playing Test cricket in the future. “There was discussion around sharing economics and acknowledgement across the board that larger countries would potentially play a role in that. But there were also questions around how many sustainable Test-playing nations are there?

“Do you have a smaller amount of Test playing nations that are sustainable, as opposed to trying to prop up a system with additional cost that is adding to the economic challenges of maintaining Test cricket.

“We don’t feel (Cricket Australia) should dictate to any country, but we’re open to ideas and proposals on how to support Test playing full stop. There’s a summer to fill, and white-ball cricket can play a role, but (Test cricket) still remains the dominant game in Australia. It is very clear Australia will support and invest and grow Test cricket opportunities as long as we possibly can,” he concluded.