No contract, no problem for cricket’s new generation No contract, no problem for cricket’s new generation
No contract, no problem for cricket’s new generation

October 11, 2024

No contract, no problem for cricket’s new generation

While it may not be a widespread trend yet, there’s a noticeable shift happening in professional cricket. On Thursday, Tabraiz Shamsi joined a growing list of players who have chosen not to sign central contracts with Cricket South Africa (CSA), following in the footsteps of Quinton de Kock and Anrich Nortje.

They aren’t alone in this decision. In New Zealand, several top players, including Kane Williamson, Trent Boult, and Devon Conway, have also opted out of central contracts. Similarly, West Indies players like Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell, and Jason Holder have made the same choice, as has England’s Jason Roy.

These players remain eligible to play for their national teams, but they are not tied to them or anyone else. The rise of T20 leagues worldwide allows talented players to earn substantial incomes through franchise contracts, providing them with more options to support themselves financially.

From a broader perspective, T20 franchises have transformed the landscape for professional cricketers, much like ride-hailing apps have changed travel by offering alternatives to traditional car ownership. For those who truly understand the game, this shift seems like a natural evolution in professional cricket. However, some still cling to the outdated belief that international play is the highest level of the sport.

The future of cricket is uncertain, and its evolution could have significant implications. Andrew Breetzke, the chief executive of the South African Cricketers’ Association and a member of the World Cricketers’ Association board, likely has valuable insights into this changing landscape.

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Transitioning to a Multi-Hybrid World: The Future of Player Contracts in Cricket

“We’re moving from the vertical contractual world into the horizontal multi-hybrid world,” Breetzke told Cricbuzz. “Quinny and Anrich don’t have a contract in South Africa, and they were picked for the [2024] T20 World Cup. The reality is that players at the highest level of white-ball cricket probably in future won’t have to be contracted within a certain country, and I’m not specifically talking about South Africa. The world market and how you contract players is going to be fascinating. The question is how you manage it so that everybody wins. CSA have to win, the Proteas have to win, the player wins.”

Andrew Breetzke observed how the South African Rugby Union (SARU) successfully adapted to significant changes in the sport. After winning the Rugby World Cup in 1995 and 2007, the Springboks initially chose to select only players based in South Africa. However, full professionalism in rugby only emerged after the ’95 tournament. This shift, combined with South Africa’s weak currency and the financial strength of European and Japanese leagues, led to a drain of talent from the country. As a result, the Springboks struggled in subsequent tournaments, failing to reach the finals and dropping as low as seventh in the world rankings by 2017—a disappointing position for a team historically regarded as one of the giants of rugby alongside New Zealand.

In May 2018, just three months after Rassie Erasmus became the Springbok coach, SARU announced a significant policy change, lifting the restriction that prevented overseas-based players with fewer than 30 Test caps from being selected. This change was reflected in the 2019 World Cup squad, which included eight players based abroad, such as stars Faf de Klerk and Cheslin Kolbe. By the 2023 World Cup, that number had increased to 17 out of 33 players, including captain Siya Kolisi. This strategic shift paid off, as the Springboks won both tournaments, becoming the only team to claim four World Cup titles.

“You can play anywhere in the world and be chosen to play for the Springboks,” Breetzke said. “And they’re the best team in the world. With the All Blacks, you have to play in New Zealand and they’re no longer the best team in the world. The commercial realities of rugby have been embraced by SARU, but not in New Zealand. And who’s coming out stronger?

“Half the Boks in the 2023 World Cup-winning team were not contracted in South Africa. And what’s important to remember is even those who were contracted in South Africa were not contracted by SARU. They’re contracted, for example, by the Sharks and they identify as a PONI – a player of national interest. SARU pay an amount of money to the Sharks to supplement that income, so the players are earning top dollar.”

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Navigating the New Landscape of Cricket Contracts: Insights from CSA Leadership

“But they don’t actually have a contract. They get a match fee if they play for the Boks. So there are no central contracts linking the most powerful rugby team in the world to SARU. That’s because SARU have fully embraced the idea that the vertical is dead. It’s the horizontal where we’re playing.”

Did Pholetsi Moseki, CSA’s chief executive, see parallels in rugby that cricket might want to exploit? “Not really, because we never even had a policy regarding how to handle this until a year or two year ago,” Moseki told Cricbuzz. “Because of the nature of world cricket, we had to be more flexible regarding that type of scenario because it might occur more frequently. It’s about adjusting to the new world that’s facing us. But we don’t expect a lot of players to do this. There might be one or two others, but we expect most of the guys will continue to have a national contract instead of being free agents.”

He did not dispute that the T20 explosion had disrupted the way cricket does business: “The reality is that some players make more in one month than their [CSA] retainer per annum. Some have decided they are happy with what they get from CSA, the SA20 and the IPL. But they don’t really want to be chasing all the other leagues. For others, it’s different. And you can’t begrudge any players who go the different route.

“But they still avail themselves to play for the country. Most of our players, if they didn’t want to play for South Africa, would still be well off. So, ultimately, you have to want to play for the country. Hence I don’t expect the [Kagiso] Rabadas or the [Aiden] Markrams of this world to suddenly go that route. They could make far more money, but they still want to play for South Africa. Even the guys who have gone this route still say they’re available to play for the country.”

Similarly, Breetzke wasn’t advocating an unfettered scenario: “You have to have strong domestic competitions, so you have to try and build in protection. Hypothetically, a player who has given 10 years of service to a national team would then be able to go and work within the horizontal and still play for a national team. That might not be available to a player who at age 22 says he wants to do that. That would be to protect bilateral cricket in all countries. We’re in for an interesting couple of years seeing how that lands.”

The Rise of SA20: South Africa’s Premier Cricket Tournament

 This brings us to the SA20 tournament. Unlike Cricket South Africa’s (CSA) other domestic competitions, which often go unnoticed, the SA20 has quickly become the country’s premier cricket event. Set to enter its third edition in January and February, the tournament has garnered significant interest, outshining much of South Africa’s international schedule in terms of fan engagement, media coverage, and the quality of cricket on display. Notably, all six teams in the SA20 are owned by IPL franchises, highlighting the importance of foreign investment in South African sports.

To put this in perspective, New Zealand has seen twice as many players opt out of central contracts compared to South Africa, despite the fact that one New Zealand dollar is equivalent to 10.66 rand. The SA20 provides South African players with the opportunity to participate in high-quality T20 cricket without having to become freelancers. In contrast, New Zealand lacks a tournament that brings together international and domestic players to compete against the world’s best.

It’s no coincidence that South Africa reached a men’s World Cup final for the first time—specifically, the T20 version—in Barbados this June, coinciding with the rise of the SA20 tournament.

“I think the SA20 has probably helped with [keeping players available for South Africa],” Moseki said. Breetzke concurred: “As much as people criticise the SA20, thank goodness we have it. It’s probably the second-most significant franchise T20 event in the world, given who plays in it.”

Williamson, for instance. An important part of his reason for refusing a national contract was to free himself for the SA20 next year. At 34, most of Williamson’s stellar career is in the past. But that hasn’t stopped him from being part of cricket’s future.

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author
Katarzyna Nowak

Katarzyna Nowak is a seasoned writer with over five years of experience in editorial content, news reporting, and cricket sportsbook app reviews. As an author for IPLWin365 (IPL365 News), she combines her deep understanding of the sports betting industry with a passion for cricket, delivering insightful and accurate content that keeps readers informed and engaged.