"Jasprit Bumrah's Shoulder Or Ben Stokes' Fatigue Is Not Going To Decide How Many Matches A Team Plays": Arun Lal On Criticism Of Heavy Cricket Schedule

The cricketing world is in agreement on the demanding schedule, which includes 365 days of franchise cricket, ICC events, and bilateral series.

The cricket community has criticized the crowded schedule since England all-rounder Ben Stokes retired from ODI’s at the age of 31, particularly when the nearly final draught of the ICC Future Tours Programme 2023–2027 leaked to the public. 

Economic Demand Determines The Calender: Arun Lal

Arun Lal, a former all-rounder for India, believes that the sport’s commercial demand determines the calendar while also providing more players with a chance to experience the international level of play. 

“I respect Ravi Shastri and others’ opinions but honestly, they are irrelevant. Opinions don’t matter because they don’t dictate the calendar.

“The economic demands of the sport decide which team is playing how much cricket and that’s very clear. If fans stop watching it, ICC and cricket boards will simply reduce the number of matches,” Lal said. 

“Jasprit Bumrah’s shoulder or Ben Stokes’ fatigue is not going to decide how many matches a team plays. Also, it opens the opportunity for the next-gen cricketers to showcase their talents.

There is so much talent not only in India but around the world and if someone sits out, they will happily step in without complaining about the calendar,” the former Bengal Ranji coach added. 

Cricket Moving In The Direction Of European Football

With matches scheduled day in and day out, many claim that cricket is moving in the direction of football. A clear indication of its relevance is the money stream and rising prominence of franchise cricket. The broadcast rights for the 2023–27 season of the Indian Premier League were sold for a staggering Rs 48, 390 crore, which caused quite a stir in the cricketing world.

The Big Bash League, Caribbean Premier League, Pakistan Super League, Lanka Premier League, Bangladesh Premier League, and prospective T20 competitions in the United Arab Emirates and South Africa are just a few of the various T20 competitions. 

The game is moving in the direction of how European football is played. IPL is the equivalent of the English Premier League.

However, the rising worries about robotic scheduling are what connect cricket and football. Top football players, who average 60–65 matches per season across leagues, have frequently raised concern about the demanding schedule, but to little avail.

In actuality, the number of games will rise from the 2024–25 schedule since the UEFA Champions League is expected to adopt a new concept with more encounters.

The trend of bilateral series, ICC competitions, and more games will continue. It will be sealed after the ICC FTP for 2023–27 is officially revealed at the end of July. From then, it will be a matter of adjusting to this world. 

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