The Voice News: The global popularity of T20 franchise cricket has turned into a full-fledged festival, with nearly 10 franchise-based leagues operating worldwide — and more concepts being introduced. Riding on this growing popularity, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is now planning to launch a ‘World Club Championship’.
Hinting at the potential revival of a global club competition, ECB CEO Richard Gould told ESPNcricinfo that the new tournament could resemble the long-discontinued Champions League T20 (CLT20). “Undoubtedly, at some point, there will be a World Club Championship — for both men and women. It’s the next logical step for cricket,” said Gould.
The Champions League T20, held between 2009 and 2014, was a joint initiative by India, Australia, and South Africa. Despite its ambition, the tournament was discontinued after six seasons due to lack of viewership and commercial viability.
However, in recent years, leagues like ‘The Hundred’ (England), ‘SA20’ (South Africa), ‘ILT20’ (UAE), and ‘Major League Cricket’ (USA) have proven that there is now a strong global market for franchise-based cricket competitions.
One major challenge for launching such a new tournament will be finding a slot in the already congested ICC calendar. Additionally, the active participation of IPL and WPL franchises will be crucial. Notably, eight out of ten IPL franchises and four out of five WPL franchises already own teams across various leagues around the world.
Last month, IPL Chairman Arun Dhumal commented on the proposal, saying, “If this initiative can bring new value to cricket on the global stage, we would certainly be open to considering it.”