Business of T20 leagues: Cricket all set to change again forever but not without a good deal of upheaval

World Cup win that resulted in the birth of the sport's greatest-ever economy, and eventually the launch of the Indian Premier League (IPL) that revolutionized things forever, this week marks the beginning of yet another global whirl that could alter the course of cricket once again for the fourth time in 45 years. Cricket South Africa (CSA) and the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) are currently locked in a fierce battle to stay a step ahead of each other as both get ready to launch their respective T20 leagues.

The advent of these leagues - alongside IPL locking months of March, April and May for itself; ICC getting ready to host a world event every year; and other T20 leagues around the world grabbing whatever space gets left inside a calendar year - is set to further shrink bilateral cricket forever, going forward. The last 72 hours saw members of the International Cricket Council (ICC) participate in a 'dull draw' at the annual conference in Birmingham.

Behind the scenes though, they were busy refereeing a contest between CSA and the ECB over a clash for a window, signing of cricketers and the necessary pre/post approvals from the ICC board for these leagues to go ahead. The most pertinent aspect of all discussions revolved around making players available for these leagues; the validity and logic behind certain policies / frameworks; and the potential risk of a 'player burnout' that could stem from such a move - if not regulated.

Three cricket boards raised the subject first when members of ICC's Chief Executive Committee (CEC) convened on Monday. Later, the matter was presented to the board for further deliberations and TOI understands that a proposal has been made to form a 'working group' to study and understand