The incoming boss of the Australian Cricketers' Association believes international contests are in "trouble" if scheduling continues to be dictated by Twenty20 tournaments.
Paul Marsh, who is leaving the AFL Players Association to return to the ACA for a second stint, is strongly pushing for dedicated international windows to be introduced to counter franchise cricket.
South Africa, who have incredibly qualified for the World Test Championship final, sent a squad to New Zealand last year without any first-choice players as it coincided with the country's T20 tournament.
That was the most blatant example of T20 tournaments being prioritised in favour of international cricket, but the creep of franchise games has been happening since the foundation of the Indian Premier League back in 2008.
Marsh recently chaired a sub-committee through the World Cricketers' Association.
"If we don't get the scheduling sorted out in international cricket so we actually work out how international cricket will co-exist with the domestic Twenty20 competitions, then international cricket's in trouble," Marsh said on Tuesday after announcing he was quitting the AFLPA to return to the ACA.
"So we are trying to get to windows.
"We are trying to get to a more structured format around how international cricket works.
"That's one of the big priorities coming in, is to work with all the other countries to try to find the right solutions."
The current Future Tours Program ends in 2027, a year when Australia's men's team embarks on a tour of India, an away Ashes and an ODI World Cup.
Australia are in cycle when their three biggest series or tournaments fall in the same year, creating a massive 12 months every four years, but then periods of barely any international cricket.
"The cricket scheduling problem is not an easy one," Marsh admitted.
"It's not like in AFL, where it's pretty easy to put together and we've got complete control of it.
"Cricket Australia may want to have a schedule that's a certain way, but you've then got to get the countries to come.
"So I'll deal with that when I get started."
