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Grand Slam Of Cricket: Saudi Arabia Set To Challenge IPL Supremacy With $500 Million Global T20 League
Story by Times Now Digital• 1d•
2 min read
grand slam of cricket: saudi arabia set to challenge ipl supremacy with $500 million global t20 league
Saudi Arabia is looking to inject USD 500 million into a brand new global T20 league, according to a report in The Sydney Morning Herald. The league will follow a tennis grand slam template where teams will assemble four times a year in different countries.
Saudi Arabia’s SRJ Sports Investments, headed by Danny Townsend, an ex-Australian Professional Leagues soccer chief executive, is likely to be the main investor in the T20 league. The concept is the brainchild of Neil Maxwell, the former NSW and Victoria all-rounder who is a former board member of the Australian Cricketers’ Association and Cricket NSW.
The idea has been proposed by the Australian Cricketers' Association which represents current and former players. The motive behind such league is to generate a new revenue stream to tackle serious issues like saving Test cricket and supporting weaker boards like the West Indies.
There is no official update on the league but according to reports, the league will not clash with any major T20 tournament and would be played in a separate window. The teams would be new franchises, including one from Australia and Saudi Arabia. The league will have men’s and women’s competitions. The final could be staged in Saudi Arabia.
The road ahead for the league, however, won't be easy as it will need permission from the Australian Cricket Board and the ICC. The final decision could rest on ICC chair Jay Shah. There could be other challenges like convincing cricket boards, especially the BCCI to send their players to play in the league. Notably, Indian players are not allowed to play other T20 leagues to maintain the exclusivity of the IPL.