Topley on year-round franchise deals: 'Better off having a seat at the table than being left behind'

Reece Topley, England's left-arm seamer, believes that the inaugural season of Major League Cricket (MLC) has opened up "a career path that probably outlives your international career", and says that the more such global leagues there are, the better it will be for the world game.

Topley, who is on the comeback trail after a succession of freak injuries - including a twisted ankle that ended his participation in England's triumphant T20 World Cup campaign in Australia last year - was speaking at the launch of KP Snacks' community cricket pitches initiative, a partnership with the Hundred that will fund 100 new astroturf wickets over the next three years.

However, the Hundred is feeling the squeeze after the successful first season of MLC in the USA, particularly in the wake of the news that Rashid Khan - arguably the most notable overseas star in this year's event - has withdrawn on the eve of his stint with Trent Rockets, citing an unspecified injury only hours after returning 3 for 9 in MI New York's victory in the MLC final in Dallas.

Although Rashid expressed his regret at the news, and said he hoped to return for the 2024 event, his decision reinforced the concerns about the Hundred's ability to attract the world's best cricketers. Rashid had been retained by Rockets on a top-bracket £125,000 contract, and was due to earn a pro-rata salary for three appearances prior to Afghanistan's Asia Cup campaign in September. However, that sum paled in comparison to the MLC's offer of US$ 175,000 for a minimum of five matches across two-and-a-half weeks.

And for Topley, whose impressive displays in England's white-ball team last year turned him into a similarly hot ticket on the franchise circuit, such opportunities are not to be sniffed at - particularly given his injury-prone nature, and the realisation that, at the age of 29, he has a limited shelf-life as an elite-level cricketer.

Like his England team-mate Jason Roy, who negotiated an early end to his ECB incremental contract in order to play for LA Knight Riders in this year's MLC, Topley had been considering taking part in the inaugural event, but that decision became moot when he suffered a dislocated shoulder while playing his first match for Royal Challengers Bangalore in this year's IPL.

However, he's already weighing up his options for the 2024 event, and - amid reports that fellow England players such as Jofra Archer are being lined up for lucrative year-round contracts to represent their franchises across multiple T20 tournaments - he has decided for himself the sport's current direction of travel.

"If you don't go to the MLC, it's almost like you're turning down another career path that probably outlives your international career," he said. "I don't mean that it's more important than playing for England. But all-year contracts will come into the game. And I think that you're almost better off having a seat at the table than being left behind, because it's going to happen. And I think you need to almost embrace the change.

"We've crossed that bridge now. The players' feet will do the talking with what they prioritise themselves. I mean, the fees are no secret. I suppose you can find out how much someone's willing to sell their soul for.

"It looks a really good setup, to be honest," he added, having watched the inaugural MLC from afar. "Obviously there's been huge investment, which is nice to see. It's come to fruition almost from being a seed in someone's brain, and to judge by the people that have watched it, it looks a really good product. Personally, I think the more tournaments there are in countries, the better."

Topley's comments will doubtless alarm the ECB, which is already facing a tricky month, given that the Hundred will be getting underway not only in the shadow of MLC, but also a thrilling Ashes campaign, which concluded at the Kia Oval only hours before the opening fixtures between Trent Rockets and Southern Brave in Nottingham. Despite reports that the tournament could be under review at the end of this season, it remains locked into the ECB's current rights deal with Sky Sports, which does not expire until 2028.

"Thankfully it's not my job to have a rebuttal, that's for the governing body - the ECB or Cricket Australia, or whoever," Topley said. "They've got a job on their hands, because it's almost like a matter of when [year-round contracts] come, not if.

"I know [MLC] clashes with our schedule, but I think there's enough [to go around]. There's the CPL coming up too… there's an almost endless supply of these leagues, and it's going to be interesting to see how you keep the talent.

"But I think the more leagues that pop up, the better, to be honest. Competition is only going to make people strive to improve their own competitions. When it was just the Big Bash, the Blast and the IPL, it was getting quite stagnant. These tournaments have almost introduced a fresh air and there's an importance to keep reinventing and to strive as a business for the leagues themselves. So I think it's healthy competition."