‘Getting to a point where things may break’ - FICA President Lisa Sthalekar expresses concern on packed men's international calendar

The Federation of International Cricketers' Association (FICA) President Lisa Sthalekar voiced her concern over the packed schedule in men’s international cricket calendar. With the increase in franchise cricket consuming a major portion of the calendar every year, Sthalekar expressed that it might reach a 'breaking point' if a solution was not found at the earliest.

She further added that the International Cricket Council (ICC), cricket boards, and the FICA have held discussions behind closed doors over the matter. Sthalekar further acknowledged the growth and benefit of T20 cricket but urged the ICC and cricket boards to reach a solution to overcome the packed schedule.

"The game is changing at a rapid rate. These conversations have been happening for a while behind closed doors [between the ICC, the cricket boards and FICA]. We are getting to a point where things may break. I know that the ICC is speaking to the national boards. We are speaking to the ICC as well. We have to wait and see how that happens,” Sthalekar was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.

"We all see the benefit of T20 cricket. We understand players have a small window to maximise their earnings. A lot of our players are enjoying playing bilateral cricket, ICC events and the T20 leagues. We understand that the men's calendar is getting quite big,” she added.

"We are urging the ICC and national boards to come together because it is not a solution that can be solved straight away. Certainly, the players would like to play a role in that, to see if there's a way forward for everyone to have their cake and eat it as well,” concluded Sthalekar.

As per reports, numerous IPL franchise owners have held talks with overseas players for long-term contracts. This would essentially mean that the franchise owner would be their main employer instead of the board or the country that they play for. As per reports, Mumbai Indians have approached Jofra Archer with a similar contract. 

Moreover, with the increase in league cricket around the world, the significant rise in games has made the schedule packed. However, it remains to be seen if there will be an official statement from the ICC and the boards over the international schedule.