No players have been confirmed and the teams don’t yet have names, but officials behind Major League Cricket believe the newest T20 tournament to hit the international circus will be “transformative” for the game.
The inaugural MLC season has been locked in for July 2023, with six teams from major metropolitan areas – Dallas, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington DC, Seattle and New York City – each boasting “multiple global stars” on their rosters.
There will be 19 matches played over 18 days, with the opening match on July 13 at the newly constructed MLC venue, Grand Prairie Stadium, in Grand Prairie, Texas.
“Next summer, the eyes of world cricket will be on the launch of Major League Cricket, with the stars of the game competing over three weeks of fast-paced T20 action,” MLC tournament director Justin Geale said.
“The launch of MLC will transform American cricket and provide one of the best platforms in the sport for the world’s most elite players to showcase their skills while also fast-tracking the development of domestic talent to feature in the league.”
The tournament comes a year before the next T20 World Cup is played in the West Indies and the US.
There is only one ground, the Central Broward Regional Park Stadium, in Lauderhill, Florida that is certified by the ICC and has hosted international matches.
Nearly $30m has been spent transforming Grand Prairie Stadium, the former home of the Texas AirHogs baseball team, into a cricket-specific facility and the competition’s primary venue for the 2023 season and home ground for Dallas’ MLC team.
The tournament’s investor group features some of America’s most successful and respected business leaders, including Ross Perot Jr, the son of former US presidential candidate Ross Perot.
The Knight Riders Group, which owns teams in the Indian Premier League, Caribbean Premier League and the new South African tournament, has already come on board to be the owners of the Los Angeles franchise.
It also has a proposal in the works for a 10,000 seat venue in Orange County, California.
Team names, additional venues and further details on MLC’s inaugural season will be announced in early 2023, including player signings.
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