The Cricket Pod: Is franchise cricket the way forward for the sport?

In this episode we hear from Geoff Allardice, Tim Cutler and UAE international Ahmed Raza to get their thoughts on what the T20 revolution means

Chris Gayle is a regular in Twetny20 leagues, recently competing in the inaugural Afghanistan Premier League in the UAE. Satish Kumar / The National

The winds of change are whistling through cricket with gathering pace, with the mushrooming of franchise, Twenty20 leagues altering the sport’s landscape across the world.

Will the future see a global grand tour of short-format leagues replace the established international game?

Do the leagues provide a fairer meritocracy for players from beyond cricket’s established countries to make their name in the game?

And what do new leagues – like the UAE T20x, starting in December – need to do to stand out in an increasingly saturated market?

In this edition of The Cricket Pod, hosts Paul Radley and Chitrabhanu Kadalayil hear from players and administrators on what the T20 revolution means.

Geoff Allardice, ICC’s general manager of cricket, says the governing body are monitoring the spread of franchise cricket

Tim Cutler, the former Hong Kong Cricket chief executive, explains how to set up a viable competition beyond cricket’s established elite

Ahmed Raza, the UAE spin-bowler, discusses why the franchise leagues are so attractive to players – no matter where they are from.

Listen here:

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Read more:

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Sarfraz Ahmed: Pakistan's record-breaking T20 streak down to 'effort' and 'balance'

Ollie Pope interview: England youngster on 'surreal' call up and how he would love to play UAE T20x