How many leagues in career can and should you compete in?

[sphanlon]

I started out in the West Indies. I'm in the local club league and my selection status is climbing. I assume when I'm invited elsewhere I can leave the local league in the dust with little repercussion. But I'm not sure what to do from there.

If I want to make it on the international team, would it behoove me to do every league as they come available and stay with them? So that I'm eventually on a domestic 4 day, domestic 50 and CPL team all at the same time? Or would it work just as well to stay with one league if I do well? Would choosing just one league only allow me to play internationally at the same format that league is?

 

[CCCakumbra]

The best thing to do to raise your profile in the game, initially anyway, is play as much as you can in as many leagues as possible. Doing well in any format will raise your selection status in all types.
Then once you have made the International sides (if that is your goal), you can be much more selective about what leagues you play.

Before accepting a new offer I always check what dates the competition is played between and see where it fits in with the calendar - then prioritise where necessary. You need to be careful too because sometimes the game does funky things when there is a calendar clash and you miss games like Semi Finals and Finals because of it.

I don't imagine you have to keep playing First Class cricket to continue to be selected for Tests, but maybe if you are dropped from Tests you'd have to get back to it. Not 100% on that though.