Several players featuring in men's international cricket from various countries have been approached by Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises about the possibility of long-term contracts that could see them play for the team's multiple franchises in various T20 leagues. The nature of discussions has been informal, but they do raise the possibility of players' employers being an IPL franchise rather than a full-member board nation, according to a report in ESPNCricinfo.
Heath Mills, executive chairman of FICA, the global players' body, said, "There have been informal conversations between some franchises and players about being available to play in multiple tournaments. That can take a different shape and form for different players. But it should come as no surprise to anyone in cricket that these conversations are happening, and that players will have these sorts of options in the future."
The Times reported on Tuesday that six England players, including some international cricketers, were approached by IPL franchise owners for long-term deals, with the amount ranging between 2-5 million pounds. Mills also said that conversations like this are not just in England but in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and West Indies too.
"A franchise might have three or four teams globally, so they might want the player in multiple competitions -- as opposed to just the IPL. It's not necessarily about signing a player up for all competitions exclusively but rather additional ones to their IPL team," Mills said.
The possibility of such a scenario becoming a reality had been around since the spread of IPL franchises such as Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders into new leagues in the West Indies (CPL), UAE (ILT20), South Africa (SA20), and now in the United States of America through Major Cricket League T20 league.