Modi predicts end of traditional cricket

LONDON: Indian Premier League founder Lalit Modi believes there will come a time when players will earn $1 million dollars per game while warning that the traditional programme of matches between countries “will disappear”.

A Twenty20 domestic franchise competition launched a decade ago, which has spawned a host of imitators worldwide, the IPL is now the most lucrative of all cricket tournaments.“The IPL is here to stay,” Modi told Britain’s Daily Telegraph newspaper in an interview published Thursday.

“It will be the dominant sporting league in the world.”IPL teams are bankrolled by wealthy businessmen operating in an environment where the passion for cricket in India, the world’s second-most populous nation, makes the game an attractive target for sponsors and broadcasters.

At present there is a team salary cap, with the likes of England all-rounder Ben Stokes earning $1.95 million per season from the Rajasthan Royals.But Modi believes that if that $12 million cap is relaxed, leading IPL players could earn as much as English Premier League footballers and even NFL stars.

That would have a huge impact on international cricket, with players torn between making an IPL fortune and representing their countries.“You will see players making $1-$2m a game,” said Modi. “It will happen sooner rather than later. “In a free market the person with the deepest pockets will win. The players will gravitate towards who pays the biggest salary.”