"T20 is not going to stop"- Basit Ali claims franchise leagues will destroy international cricket

Former Pakistan batter Basit Ali warned that the popularity of T20 cricket and franchise leagues could harm traditional formats of the game.

Basit Ali reacted to New Zealand players Devon Conway and Finn Allen opting out of central contracts and added that more international cricketers might follow this trend.

On August 15, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) confirmed that Devon Conway and Finn Allen have declined central contracts to pursue opportunities in franchise leagues.

Conway opted for a casual contract for the next year, while Allen will be available for selection for the Blackcaps on a case-by-case basis.

Earlier, former captain Kane Williamson and pacers Adam Milne and Lockie Ferguson opted out of central contracts from New Zealand Cricket.

Left-arm pacer Trent Boult and all-rounder Jimmy Neesham also declined national contracts in 2022 to explore better opportunities in franchise leagues.

India Is Very Lucky In This Matter - Basit Ali

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Basit Ali opened up about the trend of players opting out of central contracts.

He added that this issue is not confined to New Zealand but will affect other cricket nations as well. Ali noted that India will not allow players to participate in other T20 leagues.

"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," Basit Ali said.

- Williamson declined the Central contract
- Boult declined the Central contract
- Ferguson declined the Central contract
- Allen declined the Central Contract
- Conway will play in Casual Playing contract

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The 53-year-old expressed concerns about the future of international cricket. Ali said that cricketing nations, except India, will suffer due to T20 cricket as players are choosing money over national duty.

"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 added.

Devon Conway Set To Miss Six White-Ball Games vs Sri Lanka In January

Senior New Zealand batter Devon Conway has opted for a casual playing contract. The left-handed batter will be available for selection for New Zealand’s upcoming nine Test matches.

However, Conway will miss six white-ball games against Sri Lanka in January next year to participate in the SA20 league.

The 33-year-old batter will be available for the tri-series with Pakistan and South Africa and the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan.

He has played 20 Tests, 32 ODIs, and 50 T20Is for New Zealand. Conway has scored over 6,028 runs in 187 T20 matches at an average of 42.15 and a strike rate of 129.05.