ECB rejects Saudi-funded Global T20 League; here's why

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has ruled out the possibility of a Saudi-funded global T20 league, citing an already packed international calendar and concerns over player workload.

A report by the Sydney Morning Herald on Saturday revealed that the proposed global T20 tournament would feature eight teams playing in four different locations, with financial backing from Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund.

The league, named the ‘Grand Slam of Cricket,’ is designed to follow the format of tennis Grand Slams, featuring matches four times a year in different countries.

However, ECB chief executive Richard Gould dismissed the proposal, highlighting the already congested schedule and the presence of several well-established franchise leagues 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 remains focused on safeguarding its 100-ball tournament, The Hundred, which recently secured a substantial financial boost of $1.27 billion through private franchise investments.

For reference, the Indian Premier League (IPL) is widely regarded 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.

Meanwhile, the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) has expressed support for Saudi Arabia’s T20 league proposal, citing potential benefits for 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.