Explained: The proposed Saudi Arabia-funded T20 league, and why ECB are opposing it
What is the Saudi T20 league?
According to early reports, the proposed league will feature eight franchise teams, following a model inspired by tennis Grand Slams. Matches will be staged at four different venues globally throughout the year. Both men’s and women’s competitions are included in the plan, with discussions ongoing about hosting the final in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia’s SRJ Sports Investments, a subsidiary of the nation’s $1 trillion sovereign wealth fund (Public Investment Fund), will likely be the primary investor in the project, and the organisation is reported to be willing to invest up to $500 million.
The concept is the brainchild of Neil Maxwell, a former first-class cricketer who represented New South Wales and Victoria and is the current manager of Australian skipper
Pat Cummins. Maxwell has also held key positions on the boards of the Australian Cricketers’ Association and Cricket New South Wales.
The primary aim of the project will be to create alternative revenue streams that could support the sustainability of
Test cricket, particularly for countries outside the traditional powerhouses of India, Australia, and England. All franchises will be new teams and will be based in established cricketing nations, whilst also targeting emerging markets.
What will be the league’s biggest challenges?
The schedule
The league has reportedly been in development for over a year and will be scheduled during vacant periods in the international calendar to avoid direct clashes with international series and the various T20 tournaments. However, with most players and
teams already having a jam-packed schedule, slotting the tournament in will be the biggest challenge.
BCCI approval crucial
With the BCCI not allowing current Indian players to take part in overseas T20 events, the success of this venture will hinge on their participation. ICC chair Jay Shah, who also served as secretary of the BCCI, could prove central to these negotiations.
ECB already withdraws support
Richard Gould, the chief executive officer of the ECB has already stated that the English cricket board would not back the league, stating insufficient free time on the schedule as the reason.
“With the busy international calendar, a host of established franchise leagues around the world, and existing concerns about player workloads, there is no scope or demand for such an idea,”
he told the Sydney Morning Herald on Tuesday (March 18). “It's not something that we would support."
Reportedly, the ECB is keen to protect the Hundred, which recently sold franchise stakes to private investors. The BCCI and the CA would likely be eager to safeguard their respective T20 leagues as well.
Saudi Arabia is reportedly looking to invest upto USD 500 million in a revolutionary global Twenty20 cricket league, to rival the world’s leading T20 tournaments, including the Indian Premier League.
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