The emergence of cash-rich T20 leagues have fashioned alternative career options for cricketers, often as freelance T20 specialists, as opposed to the time honoured, linear pathway, with international cricket being the ultimate goal. The Federation of International Cricketers’ Association met at the Oval in London and discussed the impact of this sea change in the global Cricket landscape, advocating a balance between the traditional structure and contemporary cricket.
“The global cricket landscape is providing more choice and more variety for career direction for players around the World,” commented FICA Executive Chairman Tony Irish after the meeting.
“Players are no longer constrained by the traditional vertical career pathway that focused on International cricket. The domestic T20 leagues, which are increasing in number and sophistication are presenting multiple new career options for players. It is critical that the right balance is found between the traditional and the new markets,” he said.
The FICA further extended it’s support to the international and domestic Australian cricketers, both male and female, praising them for their unified resistance against divisive tactics in the ongoing pay dispute with Cricket Australia.
The global mediator between all national players’ associations also reiterated it’s stand on freedom of movement of players who are not contracted by their home boards, and emphasised the need to have a new regulatory framework agreed with player representatives in an improved global structure.
Further on FICA’s agenda is its continued commitment towards helping Indian cricketers set up an independent players’ association, after the Lodha committee and the Supreme Court of India ruled that such an association should be formed. In fact the FICA is focused on ensuring proper collective representation of players at all levels, including women’s cricket and associate cricket.
“It is more important than ever to ensure players are represented collectively around the world,” said Irish, also adding that the formation of the Scottish Cricketers’ Association, subject to completion of formalities at the body’s Annual Meeting in September, was a significant step for players in Scotland and in associate countries generally.
You can't always be perfect, but you can be progressive.
Jamal Smith
Chart the course and set sail, the wind will do the rest.
Justin Greaves
Life is sweeter when you have an attitude of gratitude.
Fabian Allen
Sweat on the off days, shine on the game days.
Kjorn Ottley
If you want to excel in front of thousands, you'll have to outwork thousands in front of nobody.
Chinelle Henry
Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.
Kesrick Williams
Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is delay, not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead end. Failure is something we can avoid only by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing.
Fabian Allen
Everyone has a goal, everyone is looking to play as long as possible. Once you put in the work, you will get the results
Stafanie Taylor
It's a great achievement for me to be recognised amongst the top players in the world. It shows me that all the hard work I've been doing over the last year is paying off and being acknowledged. This is motivation to keep working hard and enjoy our sport.
Roshana Outar
You have to love the sport and be dedicated, hard work is the only true way to real success, and once you are committed, the sky is the limit.
Subrina Munroe
WIPA has definitely made a tremendous impact when it comes to women’s cricket, they have made us more visible in the cricketing circles and I must applaud them for putting us on the map where West Indies cricket is concerned.
Danielle Small
We are professionals just like the men, and we want the game to grow even more so that young girls coming up will want to be a part of women’s cricket.
Tremayne Smartt
My take on women’s cricket is that it has grown, but it can grow a bit more once we continue to support it.
Britney Cooper
You can’t go through life without struggles, and with those struggles, lessons are learnt where you can only grow from it all.
Stafanie Taylor
To think that a girl like me from the inner-city would have made such impact… that I would be recognized by my country, is beyond anything I would have expected.
Ashley Nurse
For me, being a debutant you have nothing to lose. You just have to go out and give it your all.
Brian Lara
My first bat was shaped out of a coconut branch by my brother, and from that day, all I wanted to do was to be a West Indian cricketer.
Devendra Bishoo
The way I look at it, there are no holidays in cricket. I never stop training... rain or shine, I'm playing cricket.
Curtly Ambrose
I didn't like to be friendly with rivals, I wanted them to feel the heat.
