The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has lined out the option of a Saudi-funded global T20 league, quoting an already packed international calendar and concerns over player workload.
A report by the Sydney Morning Herald on Saturday exposed that the proposed global T20 tournament would feature eight teams playing in four different locations, with financial backing from Saudi Arabiaโs independent wealth fund.
The league, named the โGrand Slam of Cricket,โ is planned to follow the set-up of tennis Grand Slams, containing matches four times a year in different countries.
Though, ECB chief executive Richard Gould dismissed the proposal, highlighting the already overfilled schedule and the presence of several well-established franchise leagues worldwide.
โWith the full international calendar, a host of recognized franchise leagues around the world, and standing concerns about player loads, there is no possibility or demand for such an idea,โ Gould told the Sydney Morning Herald on Tuesday.
The ECB remains focused on safeguarding its 100-ball tournament, The Hundred, which lately secured a considerable financial boost of $1.27 billion through private franchise investments.
For reference, the Indian Premier League (IPL) is widely stared as the leading franchise cricket competition, while Australia, Pakistan, the West Indies, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates also operate their own T20 leagues.
Temporarily, the Australian Cricketersโ Association (ACA) has stated support for Saudi Arabiaโs T20 league proposal, citing prospective benefits for players.
โThe ACAโs initial interest in discovering this concept is motivated by a aspiration to develop and normalize best-practice collective trading and an international gender-equity pay model for male and female cricketers,โ the playersโ union was cited as saying in the report.
