MITCHELL JOHNSON: Pat Cummins not playing in Australian tour of Scotland and England highlights big problem

In a move that could mark the beginning of the end for international cricket as we know it, the World Cricketers’ Association has launched a review of global scheduling.

Having labelled cricket scheduling “broken and unsustainable” and “confusing and chaotic”, the WCA says players are being forced to choose between representing their country and optimising their careers as Twenty20 leagues flourish.

Ominously, 84 per cent of players are apparently in favour of separate windows for international cricket and domestic T20 leagues.

We’ve long heard that players are tired from all the cricket being played amid a calendar that is already strongly T20-focused. So what’s the answer? That depends on who you ask amid all the competing priorities.

Is it even possible for international cricket and T20 franchise cricket to happily co-exist? I’m not so sure, to be honest.

The T20 leagues have become such big business. I’ve written many times about the financial lure for modern cricketers.

When the shift began, we saw many of the big-name West Indies players make the decision to play T20 over Test cricket — which was about their relative lack of pay from their own home board.

It’s a choice that you make as a player. You have to live and support your family just like any other person in any other job.

For the top guys, there is the lure of huge paydays and the excitement of going into an auction to see whether a franchise thinks you’re worth $3 or $4 million dollars.

At the other end of the scale, it might be a base payment of $50,000. But even a base player who decides to travel the world could get picked up in a few of the different minor leagues and make a few hundred thousand dollars a year.

That supports the family and keeps you active in the game. It might be less stress on the body too as you’re not carrying huge workloads through a Test match and needing to back it up throughout a series.

It will be interesting to see where the WCA recommendations land. And even more interesting to see how the boards of Test nations react if the balance favours players turning out more for their T20 clubs over their country. It would be sad if that happens but it seems the T20 train is strong.

Australia’s Test and one-day captain Pat Cummins is having a rest and will miss next month’s white-ball tour of Scotland and England.

Cummins says he has been non-stop for 18 months and needs this rest so his mind and body can recover. I get it. Bowlers need that rest and recovery to be at their best. Having carried the additional mental load as captain, combined with travel and family life, he’s decided he needs that time at home.

But the question that should be asked is, if you are struggling or feel you need a rest, why does it come at the expense of playing for your country? Cummins has chosen to play in both the Indian Premier League and Major League Cricket in the United States this year.

Cummins is just an example, but my broader point is that if you are telling the public you need a rest at the start of the season, then maybe you have to make a decision on what is most important to you. Is it playing T20 cricket for the big dollars or representing your country?

I’m just not sure it can be both these days. Maybe if you play Test cricket, then one T20 league is enough. You still have a foot in the door should the time come where you want to retire from international cricket and join the T20 circuit full-time.

Cricket has many currencies these days. Indian rupees, US dollars, British pounds. A batsman’s currency used to be runs! And with all this cricket going on, there is the chance of sub-par performances for whoever you are representing.

Ultimately it comes down to the individual and what they want to achieve as a cricketer. If you make a decision one way or the other, fans might respect that more than the balancing act and saying you are tired because of a busy schedule because you’ve decided to dip your toes into both.

Whatever comes of the WCA recommendations, player power isn’t likely to weaken. We will see a shift. Authorities will have to protect the game that has been around for more than 100 years or the power of money will take over and the T20 franchises might get full control.