ICC Moves To Rein In Franchise T20 Leagues With Sweeping Reforms
Recommendations from the governing body's quarterly meeting in Bali could curb the overseas-player freedoms enjoyed by the ILT20 and Major League Cricket.
The International Cricket Council is pushing for a broader say over franchise T20 cricket, following a set of proposals floated at its quarterly gathering in Bali. The sport's governing body already oversees parts of the franchise landscape, but the suggested changes would widen its remit over competitive integrity and the international schedule.
The most striking proposal would cut the number of overseas players permitted in a playing XI to four. That would hit the UAE's ILT20 and Major League Cricket in the United States hardest; the ILT20 currently fields as many as nine foreign players, and both competitions were granted exemptions from the overseas rule in 2023. Tightening the quota could carry serious commercial consequences for two leagues that have gathered pace in recent years on the back of Indian investment.
Other recommendations would give the ICC the power to review sanctions issued to a league by a full member nation — currently only associate members require extra ICC clearance — and would bar betting firms and their proxies from advertising or sponsoring leagues, to stop wagers being placed in territories where gambling is outlawed.
The proposals also include charging fees to approve new leagues, requiring the use of the ICC's anti-corruption unit or an equivalent approved body, regulating payment systems, debating whether national boards should cap how many leagues they host, and examining the status of legends' competitions, which an executive said blur the line between active and retired players and raise integrity questions.