Cracks appearing in the pitch

While England and Australia are sufficiently rich to keep their players at home, New Zealand and the West Indies can't hope to match the sums bandied about by the Indians, writes Geoff Cumming in the New Zealand Herald.

Until the Indian leagues came along, smash-and-bash cricket was dismissed as a garish hybrid to be used sparingly - a couple of games to whet fans' appetites at the start of a tour. Suddenly, it threatens one-day (50-over) cricket's role as the sport's money-spinner. Conceivably, cricket could go the way of sports like soccer and, increasingly, rugby - dominated by club/franchise competitions with few opportunities for meaningful international competition outside a world cup every four years.