Former Sri Lanka skipper Kumar Sangakkara is not in favour of players choosing franchise leagues such as the IPL over international cricket. However, he feels the ICC and cricket boards need to strike a balance as both benefit the game.
Recently, Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) granted Shakib Al Hasan permission to skip the Sri Lanka Test series so that he can feature in the entire IPL 2021.
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New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has also hinted that it may not stop its players from participating in the upcoming IPL even if the T20 league’s last few matches clash with the Kiwis' Test series opener in England, beginning June 2.
"It is pretty much understood that all contracts are below an international contract. An IPL contract is structured in a way that the players need a NOC from their home boards to allow them to participate," Sangakkara, who is the director of cricket at Rajasthan Royals, said during a virtual press conference.
"I am sure that there is a balance that can be struck. It can never be an ideal balance or a perfect balance, but there is the ability to balance it out so that the home boards and players get benefit."
According to Sangakkara, conflicts between home boards and players participating in franchise leagues can leave international cricket in a poor state.
"It's a constant debate that will happen over what's the ideal balance is. There has been debate in the past on whether there should be a window for the IPL in international cricket," he said.
"It will be a conversation that will happen between the home boards and the IPL and within the home boards and maybe even with the ICC itself," the Sri Lankan batting legend further remarked.
"It matters what your home board wants the players to do and it is the balance because it is critical to have your best international players available to play international cricket for as long as possible.
"We have seen that if there is a continuous confrontation between players and home boards about franchise tournaments like the IPL, we have seen players taking early retirements and that leaves international cricket lot poorer," he added.
Sangakkara believes IPL has helped the players to improve their skills, especially in the shorter formats, and teams such as England, New Zealand and India are its biggest beneficiaries.
"At the same time, the IPL has allowed a stage for the players from all over the world to improve their shorter version skills, that can then be transferred into ODI and Test cricket," he said.
"We have seen the performance of England in the shorter version of the game in the last few years and New Zealand in terms of how their side has developed since the advent of IPL.
"Players participating in it, we have seen the benefits for India. In the recent past, the team that beat Australia in the final Test, you can name that benefit all down the line.
"In terms of preparation for a T20 World Cup, at this IPL, there are a lot of advantages that come with having your players play in it.”
(With PTI inputs)
