Major League Cricket (MLC) in the USA has been granted List A status by the International Cricket Council (ICC), observing a substantial milestone for the sport in America. MLC is now the second Associate-run franchise league to acquire this recognition after the UAE’s ILT20.
Major League Cricket in the USA Awarded List A Status by ICC
With this new status, MLC will now be officially acknowledged as a T20 league, with tournament stats and counting as official statistics in T20 cricket. This recognition boosts the credibility of cricket in the USA on an international scale and assures that the performances of top cricketers are accurately imaged in their career statistics. Justin Geale, the tournament director, voiced excitement about the recognition, highlighting the high-quality standards of the league.
“It was always intended to be a 10-team league,” MLC’s chief executive, Vijay Srinivasan, told the Guardian. “Studies show that we are a big enough country, with a big enough demographic to support 10 teams, so that’s our plan. We had 19 games in our first season, will have 25 in our second. I think we want to get to 34 next year, and just gradually keep expanding.”
Geale also honoured the ICC for recognising the unique context of cricket in the USA and restated MLC’s commitment to building an assertive forum for the sport to evolve and thrive in the country. The impending 2024 MLC season is all set to begin on July 5, right after the T20 World Cup which ends on June 29 in Dallas, USA.
As The Guardian reported, MLC plans to extend from six to ten teams over the next few years. The number of matches per season is also set to increase from 19 in 2023 to 34 by 2025, with 25 games scheduled for this season. Vijay Srinivasan, MLC’s chief executive, cited that the league purposes to begin in early June 2025 to sidestep clashing with The Hundred, a renowned cricket league in England.
This new schedule is planned to align with US school holidays and take advantage of the post-IPL window. Nevertheless, the early June start is likely to clash with the T20 Blast and may cause scheduling conflicts. Last year, MLC finished just before The Hundred, however, this year, there will be a six-day clash, indicating that many foreign stars in The Hundred may arrive later due to MLC commitments.
It is pertinent to mention that out of the six MLC teams, four are owned by IPL franchises, which further expands the league’s influence worldwide. It is certain that upon acquiring List A status, MLC will be poised to make a notable impact on the international cricket landscape, giving a platform for cricket to prosper in the USA.
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