'Playing For Your Country Doesn't Fill The Grocery Basket': Daryll Cullinan's Blunt Verdict On Cricket's IPL Crisis
EXCLUSIVE: Daryll Cullinan, a former South African cricketer, discusses the challenges faced by today's players, who must choose between national representation and lucrative franchise contracts.
Photo : TN Sports Desk
Every generation of cricketers has wrestled with a defining dilemma. For South Africa's great Daryll Cullinan's generation, it was the privilege of representing a newly readmitted South Africa on the international stage. For today's players, it is a far more complicated balancing act—choosing between national colours and life-changing franchise contracts.
The debate has become one of cricket's most polarising subjects, with legends and administrators questioning whether money has begun to outweigh patriotism. But Cullinan believes the criticism is being directed at the wrong people.
"It depends, I think, on which side of the fence you sit really. If you're a player, an emerging player trying to secure your future, what secures your future? It's money," he told Sports Now in an exclusive interview.
"Post your playing days, you're going to need to find a new way to make a living. There are a good few players who won't need to find a way to make a living. They would have made enough out of cricket," he said.
Having experienced life both during and after his playing career, Cullinan says he understands the realities professional cricketers face once the spotlight fades. That, he insists, is why he cannot question the choices today's players make.
IPL vs Country Debate
"So you can't. It's tough when you start being judgmental about decisions players make, because ultimately they are going to have to think first of themselves, their family, and securing their future. So it's idealistic, and I'm certainly not one that's going to point fingers at players. Right, you should be making the decision, because playing for your country doesn't fill the grocery basket," the former South African batter opined.
Cullinan's perspective is shaped as much by his post-retirement journey as by his years in international cricket. Looking back, he says representing South Africa was an honour—but honour alone doesn't pay the bills once a career ends.
"I'm a player who sits on the other side. Post my playing career, I had the opportunity to play for South Africa, which many didn't have the opportunity to play for. So I'm grateful, and we entered into a period where we were semi-professionals, became full-time professionals," he recalled.
"So I'm not one that likes to look at it today and say, well, oh, I wish I was playing today. As a South African, I'm grateful for the fact that I got the chance just to play. But I'm not one that's going to be judgmental on players to say, well, you're choosing money above country," the 59-year-old added.
The former South African batter believes cricket has unfairly transferred responsibility onto players when the real issue lies within the game's structure. Expecting individuals to solve a systemic problem, he argues, is both unrealistic and unfair.
"I know what it's like to be post-playing days and still trying to make a living, and I turned down all that money to play for my country. Well, right now that doesn't fill my grocery basket. So I think it's a cricket problem," he reckoned.
Bilateral series, ICC tournaments and franchise leagues now compete for the same players, leaving little room for balance. In Cullinan's eyes, the sport's congested schedule has become one of cricket's biggest administrative failures.
"I think it's something you can't put in the hands of the players and expect them to make the call. I think that's wrong. The game needs to be structured in a way that tries its best, which I think is very difficult to do- to please everyone, to give boards, to give teams, to give trophies, to give whoever the very best piece and chance to every single player," Cullinan said.
"But right now, that's not possible, is it? The schedule is so congested. It's such an issue. There's cricket everywhere and anywhere," he highlighted.
Instead of questioning players' commitment, Cullinan believes the harder questions should be directed towards those running the game. From cricket boards to private franchise owners, he says the pressure being placed on players has reached unsustainable levels.
"Perhaps the question should be asked, well, are boards, are these private investors, are these leagues actually putting the players under pressure? And maybe they are the issue here in trying to give us, as normal as possible, a cricket schedule and calendar which satisfies everyone's needs. And right now it's a mess. Right," he pointed out.