The IPL conundrum: Should players be blamed for chasing money or is it a systematic problem?

As the first Test between South Africa and Bangladesh begins on Thursday the Tigers will feel they have a great chance of getting their first-ever Test win against the Proteas. 

The South African team will be hugely depleted with six first-team players missing as they have chosen to play in the more financially lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL).

The allure of the IPL has affected cricketers and teams all over the world in fact as New Zealand captain Kane Williamson is another example as he's playing the IPL instead of captaining his team, which is playing an ODI series at home against the Netherlands. 

In Bangladesh, the IPL conundrum has been there too, with Shakib Al Hasan choosing to play in the IPL and asking the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to allow him to skip the South Africa tour to play in the T20 franchise league.

However, as the ace all-rounder didn't get a team this time in the IPL, he eventually played the ODI series before having to return back home due to a family emergency. 

Fast bowler Taskin Ahmed is another example of a player who was wanted by the IPL.

The 26-year-old, who became the player of the series in the ODI series which Bangladesh won against South Africa on South African soil, had shown interest to play in the IPL but the BCB did not allow it. 

Bangladesh's most successful ODI captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza has expressed that Taskin should be rewarded by the BCB for staying and playing for the national team while current ODI captain Tamim Iqbal has said that winning an ODI series for your country is bigger than the IPL. 

A financial deal too good to ignore

But when all is said and done, cricketers can't play forever, and when you're a fast bowler, injuries are never too far away.

There comes a time when you have to choose between what's best for you financially and representing your country.

It is estimated that a South African player will earn in one IPL season what he earns in 12 years playing for his country. 

That's a crazy difference in money and a reason why the South African players were unanimous in choosing the IPL instead of playing the Test series against Bangladesh, despite their Test captain Dean Elgar saying it would be a litmus test of where their loyalties lie. 

In a Test match, a bowler has to bowl an average of 40 overs, whereas, in an IPL season, that may be what you have to bowl during the entire season. 

What can be done?

The IPL is not going anywhere, and in fact, it is only getting bigger with more teams and a longer tournament. 

The ICC needs to ensure that the cricket calendar doesn't clash with the IPL calendar.

The cricket boards also need to make sure their cricketers playing Test cricket are well paid in comparison with the IPL.

There are Australian and England team players that can afford to skip the IPL and focus on their national team, but that is not the case for most of the other teams. 

There are teams like Bangladesh, with one of the richest cricket boards, that can afford to pay their players very well too, but the South African board, for instance, can't do that.

Fans are certainly not taking it well when a player puts the IPL ahead of their national team but it is not an easy situation for the players to ignore the IPL.

The IPL certainly helps the players and is watched by millions all over the world, but it is reaching a point where the balance is shifting more towards franchise cricket than international cricket.

And that is something that can affect the balance of international cricket's future and the people in charge of governing cricket need to take immediate action.