Srinagar: In a major setback for proposed Global T20 League funded by Saudi Arabia, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has rejected the idea, citing an already packed international schedule and concerns over player workload.
According to a report by the Sydney Morning Herald on Saturday, the proposed global T20 tournament would feature eight teams playing across four different locations, with financial backing from Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund.
The league, called the ‘Grand Slam of Cricket,’ was designed to follow the format of tennis Grand Slams, with matches taking place four times a year in different countries.
However, ECB chief executive Richard Gould dismissed the proposal, pointing out that the cricket calendar is already overcrowded. He also mentioned the numerous established franchise leagues operating worldwide.
“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,” Gould told the Sydney Morning Herald on Tuesday.
“It’s not something that we would support,” he added.
The ECB is currently focused on safeguarding its own 100-ball tournament, The Hundred, which has recently secured a major financial boost of $1.27 billion through private franchise investments.
Meanwhile Indian Premier League (IPL) is considered the leading franchise cricket competition, with other countries such as Australia, Pakistan, the West Indies, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates also running their own T20 leagues.
Meanwhile, the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) has shown support for the Saudi-funded T20 league proposal, suggesting that it could benefit players.
“The ACA’s early interest in exploring this concept is motivated by a desire to develop and normalize best-practice collective bargaining and an international gender-equity pay model for male and female cricketers,” the players’ union was quoted as saying in the report.