Nicholas Pooran is a recent addition to the long list of players relinquishing central contracts to take up franchise cricket.
The 29-year-old Nicholas Pooran is the most recent addition to the list of players retiring from International cricket to focus on franchise cricket leagues. Over the past few years, multiple players have shifted their focus from being tied to a central contract to adopting a freelance role. This leaves the cricketing fraternity with an essential question: Where is international cricket headed?
As per a report published by the Federation of International Cricketers’ Association (FICA) in 2022, as many as 49% of male cricketers said that they would consider rejecting a national contract for a bigger domestic contract. Moreover, 40% of the players were in the free agency market, with no national contracts. This does not come as a surprise. With the franchise leagues becoming efficient in terms of their finances, freelancing might be the way forward.
Let us have a look at some players who have shifted from being under a central contract to becoming free agents to play franchise cricket leagues.
The Trinidadian announced his retirement from all forms of international cricket on June 9. The attacking left-handed batter took to his social media handles to express gratitude for the opportunities and memories with the West Indies team. He retires as the most capped T20I player for the Windies, with a record of 2,275 runs in 106 games. However, Pooran confirmed that he will be available for franchise cricket leagues.
The South African wicketkeeper-batter called time on his illustrious career at the age of 33. Klaasen mentioned that he had plans to play until the 2027 World Cup, but chose to draw the curtains early, citing reasons of a feeling of disconnection from the game. The destructive batter will keep participating in franchise cricket leagues.
The kiwi left-arm pacer relinquished his national contract in 2022 to pursue flexibility and opportunities in global franchise cricket leagues. This has allowed him to participate in leagues like the Indian Premier League (IPL), Pakistan Super League (PSL), Caribbean Premier League (CPL), Big Bash League (BBL), International League T20 (ILT20), Major League Cricket (MLB), and the SA20.
The power hitter from the West Indies is a frequent occurrence in major franchise leagues around the world. Russell opted out of having a central contract with the Cricket West Indies in 2023 to attain flexibility for featuring in franchise cricket. However, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) all-rounder continues to represent the island nation in major International Cricket Council (ICC) tournaments.
Former New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson does not possess a central contract since June 2024. He declined the home contract to pursue opportunities in overseas T20 leagues. This decision coincided with him stepping down as the Kiwi skipper, following their early exit from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup last year.
In August 2024, Devon Conway, New Zealand’s opening batter, chose to sign a casual contract as opposed to a central contract with New Zealand Cricket. A player under the central contract receives a fixed salary and has to prioritize national team commitments. However, a casual contract permits a player to play for the national side as per their availability, without the constraints of a full-time commitment.
New Zealand opener Finn Allen was also among the Kiwi players to draw curtains on his central contract with Cricket New Zealand. Moreover, in 2024, Allen signed a two-year contract with the BBL team Perth Scorchers.
The destructive batter from South Africa is currently not a part of their central contracts list. Miller’s name was absent from the list of centrally contracted players released by the cricket board. The 36-year-old continues to make his appearance in franchise leagues around the world. Despite not being centrally contracted, Miller remains a key figure in the Proteas’ setup for ICC tournaments.
The left-arm leg-spinner opted out of a central contract in 2024/25, wanting to focus on his franchise cricket commitments. Shamsi’s impact in the shortest format for South Africa has seen many highs. In 2022, he went past Dale Steyn to become South Africa’s leading wicket-taker in T20Is, a record that stands untouched to date.
The South African middle-order batter does not find himself amongst the players under the central contracts list of the board. Despite his franchise cricket commitments, van der Dussen remains a vital part of South Africa’s national side, with valuable contributions across all three formats of the game. The batter has scored 4,819 runs across formats for the Proteas with an average of 40.15 across 139 matches.
The stylish English opener was not included in the list of centrally contracted players by the England Cricket Board (ECB) in 2024/25. This was due to the broader restructuring of the central contracting system, which aimed to focus on the players with a more consistent presence across all formats. Despite the restructuring, Roy remains eligible for selection based on performances in the domestic leagues around the globe.
Former West Indies skipper Jason Holder relinquished the central contract in 2023 ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup last year to focus on the shortest format of the game. Despite declining the central contract, Holder was available for all West Indies T20 internationals during the year. Moreover, the tall bowler stated that his decision was not a complete abandonment of Test cricket. His decision has given him the flexibility to play more franchise-based cricket, earning more income.
Kyle Mayers also opted out of the central contract along with two of his teammates in 2023, amid a then-ongoing power struggle between the players and the West Indies Cricket Board. The left-handed opener was also available for all T20 internationals in the cycle. Mayers has a vast resume when it comes to franchise cricket with teams like Seattle Orcas, Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, Barbados Royals, Islamabad United, Lucknow Supergiants, and so on.
New Zealand’s fast bowler is also among the players who have been denied a central contract for the nation. Ferguson expressed that he wishes to have a casual contract, which will allow him to be more flexible to play franchise cricket throughout the world.
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South African speedster Anrich Nortje is one of the most recent additions to the list of players who have been denied a central contract. Nortje decided to effectively manage his body and schedule. As a fast bowler, he feels it necessary to take a break when his body needs, and not feel obligated to play every series.
The 33-year-old pacer from New Zealand also denied a central contract and chose to focus on flexibility for franchise cricket across the globe. After injuries disrupted his career, the fast bowler played for several top franchises in the world. However, he continues to be available for the national side despite his league commitments.
England Test skipper Ben Stokes turned down the board’s three-year contract to sign a one-year deal in October 2023. The left-handed batter stated that the decrease in duration of the contract was not directly proportional to his desire to play for England. He explained that the decision was influenced by the then-upcoming broadcast deal and that he would be in a much stronger bargaining position in the next cycle.
Honestly, players opting out of central contracts, like Nicholas Pooran just did, doesn’t come as a surprise. Considering the way the game is shaping up, freelancing could very well be the future, especially for those who don’t represent a financially rich cricketing body.
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