IPL under threat? Saudi Arabia set to create ‘world's richest’ T20 cricket league

[Tillu]

Saudi Arabia is gearing up to create its own form of T20 cricket league, touted to be ‘world's richest’, which could become a big threat to the Indian Premier League (IPL). Apparently, Saudi Arabia is trying to IPL owners and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for the job. After heavily investing in other sports like football and Formula 1, Saudi Arabia is now eyeing to invest in cricket, according to The Age.

 

Talks have been ongoing for about a year, but before anything substantial can happen, the league would need to be sanctioned by the International Cricket Council (ICC). ICC chairman Greg Barclay has confirmed Saudi Arabian interest in cricket, stating that "cricket would work quite well for Saudi Arabia" given their advance into sport more generally.

"If you look at other sports they've been involved in, cricket is something I imagine would be attractive to them," he said. "Given their advance into sport more generally, cricket would work quite well for Saudi Arabia

"They're pretty keen to invest in sport, and given their regional presence, cricket would seem a pretty obvious one to pursue," Barclay added.

Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation chairman Prince Saud bin Mishal Al-Saud has stated that the aim is to create a sustainable industry for locals and expats living in the Kingdom and make Saudi Arabia a global cricketing destination. 

"Our aim is to create a sustainable industry for locals and expats living in the Kingdom and make Saudi Arabia a global cricketing destination," Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation chairman Prince Saud bin Mishal Al-Saud told Arab News last month.

Representatives of the Saudi government and businesses have reportedly been seen around India's cricketing activities, looking to get the IPL owners and the BCCI involved in their planned Twenty20 league, which would stand neck-to-neck with the IPL in terms of financial prowess.

At present, the BCCI bars Indian players from participating in leagues abroad, but a proposal from Saudi Arabia over a new T20 league being set up there could see the Indian board change its stance on the matter. The possibilities of staging the annual Asia Cup, the opening match, or even a round of the IPL in Saudi Arabia are also reportedly in the plans.

 

https://www.livemint.com/news/world/ipl-under-threat-saudi-arabia-set-to-create-world-s-richest-t20-cricket-league-11681483321074.html

[Tillu]

Saudi Money will LIV Cricket

 

The vast majority of us mere ‘sports people’ have little grasp of the power of global cash. I’m not even sure whether a billion dollars is a hundred million or a thousand million. When we’re changing brand of supermarket because the cheese is cheaper it hardly seems relevant.

    In case you missed it, the new Saudi Arabian division of the established American and European golf tours has cost them well over three billion. Dollars. They paid a well-known 46-year-old left hander over $250million to be their headline star. They are paying has-beens and never-weres half a million dollars per event for shooting three 77s. There is no ‘cut’ in LIV events.

 

 

    The potential cost of buying into cricket must seem laughable. Especially with the IPL now officially rated as the second most valuable sporting commodity in the world, behind the AFL. Frankly, the Saudis could shatter the IPL’s T20 hegemony just as easily as they have broken and divided golf’s established order. More easily.

 

 

    But it’s not quite that simple. Phil Mickelson had gambling debts over $100m, so he was an easy target. Charl Schwartzel and Louis Oosthuizen were soft targets, one-time Major winners but never with the personal drive to become anything in the game other than rich. Great players, and easily bought.

    Australian Cameron Smith, prodigious talent, was the reigning Open Champion when he was approached with an offer of $125million. He said no. But he’s a Queensland country boy and everyone has their price. When it was topped up to $150million he succumbed to the scoreboard pressure. Even the possibility of not being able to defend his title and compete for more Majors was enough to turn down financial security for his entire town, if he so wished.

    There are a few Indian cricket stars so wealthy already that Saudi money would be waived away. Perhaps. Virat Kohli is said to have assets in excess of $400million. The Saudis could double that from the petty cash till but, perhaps Kohli is the sort of man who asks ‘when is enough, enough?’ There aren’t many cricketers with enough in the bank to ask themselves the same question. For the Indian players, of course, there is the question of future vitriol and retribution.

    Could they live happily (safely?) in Bangalore, Chennai or Mumbai after walking out on the IPL for $50million to play in a SaudiT20 tournament? To our minds, would it matter wheather they could buy an island in the Caribbean or a villa in Monaco after a couple of seasons. But 95% of the world’s best cricketers would have no moral compunction whatsoever about signing a life-changing contract for their families and every generation to come for the conceivable future.

    This is not, I am told by those who know far more than me, mere speculation. Just as IPL teams will consolidate their assets after the 2024 T20 World Cup by signing their biggest names to multi-year, multi-tournament contracts, the ‘Saudi Super League’ will happen.

    It is intriguing that discussions have been taking place between Saudi representatives and the BCCI for over 12 months - and that India has ‘leaked’ the information that their players will not being released to play in any other tournaments outside the IPL. A power-play is taking place, and the BCCI is very good at them. But even they are whitlings in the ocean of Saudi excess. Should Rohit Sharma, Indian captain and about to turn 36, accept a three-year deal for $75million, hundreds more would be sure to follow.

 

 

    The turmoil in the three ‘major’ cricket nations will be interesting to observe. There will be much angst, no doubt. But India, England and Australia have established a cosy threesome in which generous inter-personal wealth-sharing is the priority while the ‘small seven’ will have to make do with whatever they can salvage.

    From 2025 onwards the IPL franchises will no longer tolerate the sharing of their assets. Tristan Stubbs, for example, cannot be shared between the Sunrisers (Eastern Cape) and the Mumbai Indians. Building ‘brands’ is a multi-million dollar business and Stubbs, as a commodity, can only be one or the other in a business trading in billions. He is just one, convenient example. Player agents are already working on deals which will see the like of Jos Buttler, Kagiso Rabada, Quinton de Kock, Glenn Maxwell etc signed up for life.

    In less than three years from now the best, most high-profile players in the world will be seeking permission from their franchises to play for their countries rather than vice-versa. It’s a challenging and confronting proposition for those who always believed cricket was, somehow, different to other sports. It was. But it won’t be for long.

    The difference is this: How many other meaningful ‘formats’ of football (American or International) are there? And will the repetitive, unmemorable, sugar-rush nature of domestic T20 leagues really be sustainable? No need to speculate because time will tell. It’s going to happen.

 

https://mannersoncricket.substack.com/p/saudi-money-will-liv-cricket

Edited April 25, 2023 by Tillu

[LordPrabhzy]

for them to have the richest league they need to have actual stadiums of the scale like India. The expat population of Indians in Saudi has been declining since the 90s so I don't see of there is any value of them holding a league when the footfall wont be that much.

 

The NFL model where they play one or two games a year in London could work. If they have a MI and CSK clash in Riyad for example once a year and switch teams around then that works better than a whole league.

[zen]

Could be a good initiative but there are challenges: 

 

* A lack of cricket culture in Saudi

* Unavailability of Indian players (at least those who come under BCCI’s guidelines), therefore, a relative lack of interest from cricket’s largest market 

* Busy cricketing calendar means probably a short tournament and maybe unavailability of many international players due to other commitments (only IPL has a fixed slot)

 

 

Opportunities: 

* Can be an unique tournament where there is no concept of overseas players 

* Minor leagues in Asia like PSL, SL, & BD, and maybe even WI, can become consolidated into Saudi league

* Can influence IPL’s overseas players rule as IPL may increase overseas players’ slot to make IPL more competitive 

 

Edited April 25, 2023 by zen

[putrevus]

Without BCCI's consent they cannot do anything.Unless they involve India they won't get eyeballs on TV.

 

LIV golf has some chance to compete as PGA is mostly American other than British open.

 

If I am not wrong all majors are allowing LIV players to compete.US open might be the only exception.

Edited April 25, 2023 by putrevus

[maniac]

No one is going to watch a league without marquee Indian players and marquee Indian players are not participating in anything without BCCI approval. Rather throw away the money in the desert instead of competing with IPL.

[Austin 3:!6]

4 hours ago, MultiB48 said:

Liberals and their fantasy of ruining ipl .

 

Is that Neils manthrop, other than wailing about bcci he loves to cry about the fall of South Africa and it's dirty streets and beaches ,from London.

 

 

 

Do they hate IPL bcoz the founder was Lalit Modi?

[nitinbwj]

Dubai Porta Potty.. 

Don't google it.. You have been warned. 

[beetle]

BCCI will ban Indian players from participating. No Indians....no Indian spectators,so no Indian market.