Australia legend Adam Gilchrist has issued a stark warning about the "global dominance" of the IPL amid reports David Warner is set to snub Australia's domestic T20 competition the Big Bash in order to play in the UAE's new International T20 League.
The league is made up of six teams, with three of them owned by groups that also own IPL franchises, including the GMR Group which owns Warner's current IPL team Delhi Capitals. And The Australian is reporting that Warner has made a request to Cricket Australia to allow him to play in the UAE league instead of the Big Bash, with the two set to clash.
However, Gilchrist has warned that letting Warner play in the competition would be "commercial suicide" and that the monopoly of IPL franchises is "getting a little bit dangerous", with IPL owners also buying teams in the new South African T20 competition and the Caribbean Premier League. Speaking on SEN radio, Gilchrist said: "I think it would almost be commercial suicide for [Cricket Australia] to allow a player like him to go head-to-head up against their own competition.
"They can't force David Warner to play in the BBL, I understand that, but to let him then go off – or another player, let's not single out Warner because there will be other players on the radar – it's all part of this global dominance that these IPL franchises are starting to create given they own a number of teams in the Caribbean Premier League.
"They own all six teams I believe in the new South African tournament that's coming up, which will be locking horns for commercial space and airtime with the Big Bash. It's getting a little bit dangerous the grip that it's having to monopolise that ownership and the ownership of the players and their talents and where they can and can't play.
"David Warner, again, using him as an example, we can't question his commitment to Australian cricket over the years, he's carved out one of the great careers.
"If he rides off into the sunset and says, 'Sorry Australian cricket, I'm going to become a gun for hire for my Indian franchise team in various tournaments' you can't question him on that, that's his prerogative and he's done everything he needs to get the profile and get that market value.
"It's the new younger player coming in that starts to make those noises where it'll be really challenging. Perhaps it's the first example where David Warner doesn't sign a contract with Cricket Australia at all, he just plays for a match fee.
"He goes and plays whatever he wants but says, 'I'm available for every Test match, for every one-day international and every T20 international' by way of example, I'll be there for you in national colours. But other than that, I'm going to play my club, my franchise cricket, wherever I want to knowing that none of those big tournaments will be clashing with international cricket."
