Ravi Shastri and Tom Moody feel it is "inevitable" that IPL teams will start to influence world cricket by engaging players in long term contracts which will see them take part in multiple leagues. Last week, FICA confirmed that there have been informal conversations between some franchises and players about the possibility of such contracts, but nobody has officially signed one yet.
"We have seen that slowly shift in the last couple of years, when IPL teams look to buy other franchises around the world," former Sunrisers Hyderabad coach Moody said on ESPNcricinfo's Runorder. "The reason we start talking about this is because each IPL team is looking for a bigger footprint in the game. It might not be financially beneficial for them to be doing that, but they are looking at the long term benefit of having a greater stake of the time in the calendar year."
Former India coach Shastri agreed and highlighted the possibility of international cricket being geared around World Cup tournaments. "I have always said that the bilateral cricket will suffer, there is no question about that. With the leagues spreading around the world, it's going to go the football way. The teams will assemble just before the World Cup, they play a little bit of bilateral, clubs will release the players and you play the mega World Cup. So it's going to go that way in the long run whether you like it or not.
Shastri admitted he wasn't troubled by any of this. "I don't feel bad at all," but he did add that "one of the faculties of the game will suffer. I think it will be 50-over cricket."
Moody went a step further and suggested the one-day format might even be replaced, by T10 cricket, and that continued T20 expansion could lead to just a handful of countries playing Test cricket.
"That really tells me that there are only going to be few countries that are going to be playing Test cricket, as simple as that," Moody said. "Rest are going to focus on white-ball cricket, and I will add another format that may replace the 50-over cricket and that may be T10. I see that as a potential, not a game-changer but a movement towards the next step ahead for the IPL to consider if they want to expand what is an incredibly successful property."
All this leads to a situation where players may have to choose between their country and their club and Shastri, for one, understands why they might be tempted to pick club. Especially those who are unable to make it to the highest level. India has an abundance of such players but whether the BCCI will allow them to participate in various leagues is still a topic up for discussion.
"Look at the volume of people in this country, we are 1.4 billion, and only 11 can play for India," Shastri said. "What will the others do? They have an opportunity to play white-ball cricket, it's their strength, globally, across different franchises in the world. Grab that opportunity. It's common sense, it's their living. It's their income. Nobody will be able to deprive them of this. They [players] are not contracted by BCCI. What stops them going?
"Nothing like getting exposure. How much do they want to protect their own league? You've got to see where they come from, and rightly so. This is our league and to protect this league is paramount as far as our interest goes. But by letting certain players go, it's not going to affect the league in any way."
New Zealand Cricket has already recognised that the game is at a tipping point and has worked with several players, including the likes of Trent Boult who opted out of a central contract last year, to find a way forward that benefits both parties.