DUBAI -World cricket´s governing body will discuss ways to tighten up howvarious Twenty20 and T10 leagues are sanctioned in the future when it meetsnext week, a top official said Wednesday.
Since the inception of a lucrative Indian Premier League, many ICC membercountries have launched their own leagues in what is seen by some as athreat to five-day Test cricket and international cricket fixtures.
The latest format showcased in the game is the ICC-sanctioned T10(10-over-a-side) league held in Sharjah last year.
Geoff Allardice, general manager of cricket for the International CricketCouncil (ICC), said the matter would be discussed at the body´s boardmeeting in Singapore on October 20.
“One of the things we will be talking about in our meeting next week isaround regulations and sanctioning of events and also the release ofplayers (for leagues),” Allardice told media.
“So you look at all of the documentation and the ownership structures andhow the league is going to be funded and all these types of things and thenyou provide approval.
“It´s not just going to be an open door for any promoter to come in. Ithink it will be a bit harder to get sanctions in the future and anytournament would need both the support of the home country and the ICC.”
The Masters Cricket League (involving retired and semi-retired players)held in United Arab Emirates (UAE) hit a snag after its first and onlyedition in 2016, with non payments to players.
The Pakistan Cricket Board also raised reservations over the T10 league,the second edition of which will start next month in Sharjah, after theIndian sponsors of the event were investigated back home over wrongdoings.
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“So the future success of a league is in jeopardy. The other thing is if weget reports that that sort of things happen then the likelihood ofsanctioning the second edition of a league is significantly reduced,” saidAllardice, a former first class cricketer from Australia.
“I think perhaps the hurdles to jump for a promoter to put on a T20 leagueare going to be a bit higher and that the vetting process by both the hostcountry and by the ICC would be enhanced.”
Allardice, however, was admanant that players were not snubbing Testcricket, saying: “The one thing about Test cricket is that players want toplay Test cricket. Some of those players (preferring leagues) aren´tregular Test cricketers at the time they make their decisions.”
Allardice added that leagues should be good for players.
“It´s a balance because the leagues can be a good vehicle for promotingcricket in new countries: there was a tournament in Canada not so long ago.
“That gave some cricket fans the chance to see some elite cricketers. Itcould be a good step but the league has also got to be good for the game.”
