By T. Jayani, JadeTimes News
A new women's T20 franchise tournament in the United States, featuring top international players, is being considered for launch in the near future. The inaugural season of Major League Cricket (MLC), a men's T20 league in the US, took place in 2023. These discussions are in the early stages, and no specific timeline has been set. The US is set to co-host the men's T20 World Cup with the West Indies, with the opening match scheduled in Dallas on Sunday at 01:30 BST.
Cricket is also expected to feature in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, presenting a unique opportunity to boost domestic interest in women's cricket. The US women's national cricket team, which has never participated in a major International Cricket Council (ICC) event, is likely to qualify for the Olympic tournament as the host nation. Several MLC franchise owners are reportedly interested in developing women's teams alongside their existing men's teams.
MI New York, the inaugural MLC winners, are owned by Mukesh Ambani, whose wife Nita is a strong advocate for women's cricket. It remains uncertain how these plans would affect international commitments for England's women's players and potentially The Hundred.
Earlier this year, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) committed an additional £800,000 to the eight women's franchises, enabling top players to earn up to £50,000.This amount is significantly lower than the high salaries commanded by top female cricketers in the Women's Premier League (WPL) in India, where Nat Sciver Brunt earned £320,000 and spinner Sophie Ecclestone earned £180,000.The emergence of MLC has already impacted English men's cricket.
Opener Jason Roy opted out of his incremental white-ball deal with the ECB, valued at £60,000-£70,000, to participate in MLC's inaugural season. Roy has been retained by the Los Angeles Knight Riders for 2024. MLC has signed more high profile players for the upcoming season, which begins the week after the T20 World Cup final, including Australian stars Steve Smith, Travis Head, and Glenn Maxwell.