‘The Hundred’ attracts owner of Multan Sultans

LONDON: Multan Sultans co-owner Ali Khan Tareen and Kolkata Knight Riders CEO Venky Mysore have registered their interest in investing in teams in the Hundred, the England and Wales Cricket Board’s 100-ball competition which is due to start next summer after its recent postponement.

The ECB initially rejected the involvement of private investment when devising its new city-based tournament, but the financial fallout of the Covid-19 crisis — which could cost the English game as much as £380 million (US$470m) — could prompt a softening of that stance. Chief Executive Tom Harrison said last week that the pandemic could force the ECB into “a place where we have to look at some of those opportunities”.

Tareen told Cricinfo that he believes potential investors should have at least some links to the team they want a stake in. Having owned a house in Hampshire for the best part of a decade, Tareen wants to invest in the Southern Brave, if such an opportunity becomes possible.

“I’m a Hampshire boy who loves Hampshire cricket,” he said. “I see it as a way to benefit the counties, so they get more money. If someone with no connections owns a side, they wouldn’t give a hoot about counties. Why would they? Someone like me, who’s an actual Hampshire fan, sees the real attraction of external investment as my opportunity to help Hampshire.

“There shouldn’t be a case where the teams are sold fully to a random owner. I’ve heard of problems occurring at the CPL when owners haven’t been vetted, as well as the Global T20 in Canada. The ECB cannot afford to have issues like these happen to their league.

“What I suggest is they find people not to own and run teams, but to contribute financially to them because they care about a team or have connections to that area. Even right now, one person doesn’t run the team, a board runs the team. Maybe that one person then gets to sit on the board for a year. They can then help grow the profile of their side and by extension the league in different countries, and leverage local connections. I get that most owners would want to control a side, but this isn’t about that.”

Tareen, whose Sultans side finished top of the PSL’s group stages thanks to a data-driven strategy before Covid-19 curtailed the season, said that his ties with coaches and backroom staff could help Southern Brave succeed.

“The likes of Andy Flower, Nathan Leamon, Azhar Mahmood, who’ve been involved internationally, perhaps I’d be able to convince them to join up more? That would benefit both the team and the county. As a Hampshire fan, to be a 10% owner, have a board seat, travel with the team, give your own input, is a massive attraction.”

Each county will receive an annual sum of £1.3m (US$1.6m) from the competition, and Tareen said that any private investors should keep in mind that the rationale behind the Hundred was in part to ensure the financial viability of the county game.

“The counties are the main stakeholders from this and they need to benefit from the Hundred. With more money, they could benefit cricket in their region. The spirit of the investors needs to be that of benefactors, not profiteers.”

Under the Hundred’s existing model, all eight teams are owned by the ECB with no private investors. Last week, a report by the advisory firm Oakwell Sports recommended that the ECB should consider selling equity in the teams to reduce the financial hit of Covid-19, and to help “unlock the south Asian, UK-based fanbase”.