The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have made a major decision to protect their respective T20 leagues from weakening. Both boards have decided not to support the ambitious Saudi T20 League project, which was expected to receive an investment of around $400 million. Moreover, Indian players anyway do not participate in overseas T20 leagues.
According to a report by British newspaper The Guardian, “During the World Test Championship Final held at Lord’s this month, the ECB and BCCI agreed to stand united in opposing the new T20 league. Both boards decided they would not issue No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to their players for participating in the new competition. Additionally, they plan to lobby the International Cricket Council (ICC) to withhold its support for the Saudi league.”
On the other hand, Cricket Australia (CA) appears keen to partner with Saudi investors for the league. As per the report, “According to plans revealed from Australia, Saudi Arabia’s SRJ Sports Investments has pledged to invest $400 million to establish the new league. It will feature eight teams competing in four tournaments annually at different venues, a model compared to tennis Grand Slams.”
CA’s main objective is to benefit from private investment, as Big Bash League (BBL) franchises are currently owned by the board and state associations. The Indian Premier League (IPL) is estimated to be worth $12 billion, while the ECB is preparing to raise nearly $700 million by selling 49% stakes in the eight franchises of The Hundred.
The report also noted, “Cricket South Africa (CSA) raised over $136 million three years ago by selling SA20 franchises to IPL owners.” The newspaper further stated that the ICC is currently overseen by former BCCI secretary Jay Shah, making it unlikely that the global body would go against the wishes of the Indian board.