ICC to tighten sanctions on leagues

DUBAI: World cricket’s governing body will discuss ways to tighten up how various Twenty20 and T10 leagues are sanctioned in the future when it meets next week, a top official said Wednesday.

Since the inception of a lucrative Indian Premier League, many ICC member countries have launched their own leagues in what is seen by some as a threat 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 Cricket Council (ICC), said the matter would be discussed at the body’s board meeting in Singapore on October 20. “One of the things we will be talking about in our meeting next week is around regulations and sanctioning of events and also the release of players (for leagues),” Allardice told media.

“So you look at all of the documentation and the ownership structures and how the league is going to be funded and all these types of things and then you provide approval.“It’s not just going to be an open door for any promoter to come in. I think it will be a bit harder to get sanctions in the future and any tournament 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 only edition 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 the Indian sponsors of the event were investigated back home over wrongdoings.