Major League Cricket (MLC), the young American T20 league, has secured a significant milestone with the International Cricket Council (ICC) awarding it List A status. This recognition elevates the MLC to the status of an official T20 league, with player performances now holding official weight in their career statistics.
List A Status: Recognition and Opportunity
“We are really excited for the news as it’s a recognition of the standard and high quality of players taking part in the tournament,” said MLC tournament director Justin Geale. The List A status validates the MLC’s efforts in establishing a top-tier T20 competition in the USA. It also presents an opportunity to showcase American cricket on a global scale.
“By awarding MLC List A status for the upcoming season, it assists to acknowledge the strength and growing stature of the tournament and ultimately will help to enhance the credibility of the sport in the USA on a global scale,” Geale elaborated. More importantly, this recognition ensures that the achievements of players in the MLC will be reflected accurately in their official statistics.
Expansion Plans and Scheduling Ambitions
Building on this momentum, the MLC has ambitious plans for expansion. The league currently features six teams, but according to MLC CEO Vijay Srinivasan, this will grow to ten teams over the next few years. This expansion will be accompanied by an increase in matches, from 19 in 2023 to 34 by 2025.
Srinivasan also revealed the league’s ideal calendar window. He envisions an early June start, coinciding with the conclusion of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the beginning of US school holidays. This timeframe would allow the MLC to establish its own window without directly conflicting with the Hundred, a rival T20 league played in England and Wales.
Potential Scheduling Conflicts and Overlap with the Hundred
However, the MLC’s desired June start might create some overlap with the English T20 Blast competition. A similar scheduling conflict arose last year when England’s Jason Roy opted to play in the MLC instead of fulfilling his contract with the ECB. This situation highlights the complexities of scheduling multiple T20 leagues across the globe.
The upcoming season will see a six-day overlap with the Hundred, with the MLC concluding on July 28th and the Hundred starting on July 23rd. This overlap could potentially impact the availability of overseas players who might be participating in both leagues. Significantly, twelve out of the twenty-four overseas players currently contracted with the Hundred have already played or are signed up to play in the MLC.
Strong Foundation with IPL Backing
Four of the six MLC franchises are owned by established IPL teams â Mumbai Indians, Kolkata Knight Riders, Chennai Super Kings, and Delhi Capitals. This strong backing from experienced IPL ownership groups provides the MLC with a solid foundation for growth and development.
The inaugural MLC season, held in July 2023, saw MI New York emerge victorious under the captaincy of Nicholas Pooran. The upcoming season will be played across the same two venues as the first â Grand Prairie Stadium in Texas and Church Street Park Stadium in Morrisville.
With List A status and ambitious expansion plans, Major League Cricket is poised to play a significant role in the development of American cricket. The coming season promises exciting competition and strategic manoeuvring as the MLC carves its own niche in the ever-evolving T20 landscape.
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