The game of cricket has seen some major conflicts between boards in recent times. First, India pulled out of the last Test against England in Manchester, citing COVID-19 fears after positive cases in the camp. Ironically, an IPL match went ahead on Wednesday in Dubai, despite a player testing positive.
Further, New Zealand and England recently pulled out of their tours of Pakistan, citing security threat and mental health issues respectively. Pakistan had visited both countries even as the two nations were still grappling with the pandemic.
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In his latest column for thetimes.co.uk, Atherton, who had earlier lashed out at the ECB, took a dig at the ICC over their refusal to have a say on pertinent off-field matters.
The former England captain also questioned the ECB over their revelation that individual players were not consulted over the decision to cancel the scheduled trip to Pakistan.
Following New Zealand’s decision to pull out of their Pakistan tour, the ECB also made a decision on similar lines, citing that their players’ mental well-being could be affected if they visit the country.
Money and opportunity have made players powerful: Mike Atherton
The 53-year-old further pointed out that money and franchise T20 leagues have made the players more powerful than ever before. Atherton conceded that, unlike earlier times, cricketers can now make a career out of the game, even without playing international cricket.
Discussing specifically how the dynamics have changed due to the influence of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Atherton elaborated:
Sam Curran, Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid and Eoin Morgan are among the big names from England taking part in the second half of IPL 2021, which resumed in the UAE on September 19.
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