Srinagar: In a major development from World of Cricket, reports are emerging that Saudi Arabia is all set to launch World Richest Cricket League that may also involve Indian cricketers.
According to reports Saudi Arabia has been in touch with IPL owners regarding the same after having come on board as sponsors for the IPL 2023 season.
Under the current rules of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Indian players are not allowed to participate in overseas T20 leagues, and the proposal from the Saudi Arabian government representatives for their richest T20 league might have to convince BCCI to mend its rules.
According to a report in The Age, talks regarding the Saudi Arabian league have been underway for nearly a year now, and any potential league formed in the Gulf would have to be sanctioned by the International Cricket Council (ICC), and the member countries, including Australia.
Having invested heavily in major sports and events across the world, including the takeover of Premier League club Newcastle United by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, the Gulf state has often been criticized for trying to whitewash their human rights record through their investments in sports.
Earlier, ICC Chairman Greg Barclay had confirmed that Saudi Arabia are looking to invest heavily in cricket, after pumping funds into others sports like football and F1.
“If you look at other sports they’ve been involved in, cricket is something I imagine would be attractive to them,” said Barclay.
“Given their advance into sport more generally, cricket would work quite well for Saudi Arabia. They’re pretty keen to invest in sport, and given their regional presence, cricket would seem a pretty obvious one to pursue,” he added.
The report also adds that Saudi Arabia is looking to strengthen its relationships with India through cricket, and the former hopes to become the number 1 tourist destination for Indians by the year 2030.
UAE also launched their own T20 league last year, the ILT20 with many IPL owners becoming stakeholders in the same.
However, Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation chairman Prince Saud bin Mishal Al-Saud hopes to Saudi can become a ‘global cricket destination’ in the upcoming years.
