Global, as well as domestic challenge to Vitality Blast T20

There have been a few people bemoaning the absence of a second overseas player from Derbyshire's roster for the T20 this year, while Leicestershire haven't any.

I have even seen a comment or two that were critical of a 'lack of ambition'on our part, when in fact, nothing is further from the truth.

The bottom line is that the proliferation of T20 tournaments around the globe are starting to offer international cricketers increasing options to increase their wealth, if not necessarily their reputations in competitive cricket.

Take, for example, the 'Global T20' which, rather like the World Series in baseball, takes place in just one country, Canada. It sees six teams take part in a competition that began yesterday and concludes in a final on August 11. Compare and contrast with ours, which began on July 18 and continues well into September.

Now I am not saying that the standard will be better, as it won't, nor the crowds bigger, which they are unlikely to be, but for players who would quite like to see their families sometime, it is a fine way to make good money in just over a fortnight of cricket. Then there is the Euro T20 Slam, which starts at the end of August and runs until September 22, featuring two city-based sides from each of Scotland, Ireland and the Netherlands.

Each coincides with the Vitality Blast, each has assembled an impressive roster of players. I could, should I choose, support a Glasgow side in the Euro T20 Slam that includes Brendon McCullum, Dale Steyn, Ravi Bopara, Moises Henriques, JJ Smuts and the cast of Taggart. I joke, of course, on the latter and there are a number of top Scots players, including Alasdair Evans and Safyaan Sharif, erstwhile of this parish. Yet I doubt I will go along, for much the same reason why the Hundred will struggle. The Scottish matches are being played in Edinburgh, at the Grange, and anyone who has tried to get from Glasgow to Edinburgh along the M8 at rush hour will share my pain.

As for the Canadian competition, take a look at the assembled roster of players, and who might have made a difference to Derbyshire. Wahab Riaz is there, so too Jimmy Neesham, Trent Boult, Andile Phehlukwayo, Andre Russell, JP Duminy and a whole lot more.

Who can blame the players? You get well paid, as well as seeing another country - and a fine one too - at someone else's expense. They were aiming for a domestic audience of millions and a global one of billions, according to Yuvraj Singh pre-tournament, though the reality may be somewhat different, unless there is considerable massage of statistics.

Which sounds uncannily like another tournament, closer to home and starting next year. Yet despite it being a 'proper' format, I wasn't remotely tempted to find a stream, or a channel. I'm not sure that many others, outside Canada and perhaps India would have been, either. And I'm a cricket fan, so if they can't entice me, what chance the casual supporter, the Mums and the kids?

With five international players, two Canadians and four from ICC Associate nations per side, the standard may be mixed, but the players are earning much more than they could from a county stint in England. The best are taking home around £600K, for a fortnight's work.

No wonder it is tough to find an overseas, eh?