The International Cricket Council (ICC) has formed a committee to oversee the management of franchise cricket.
The committee was formed at the ICC Board meeting held in Ahmedabad last weekend on the occasion of the IPL 2026 final.
The meeting was attended by representatives of all member boards, some of whom joined virtually. The meeting was originally scheduled to be held in Doha in late March, but had to be postponed due to the war in West Asia.
IPL gave birth to franchise cricket revolution
Since the introduction of the Indian Premier League by the BCCI in 2008, every other cricket playing nation has established a league of its own.
Now, barring the IPL, franchise leagues have mostly come into direct conflict with international cricket. This situation has left many stakeholders worried about the future of international cricket.
With franchise leagues growing rapidly in every part of the world, more and more players are choosing the financially attractive option of playing in these leagues rather than constantly being available for their countries.
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New ICC committee to “harmonise” franchise calendar
In a statement issued by the ICC to the press, the board said that the new committee will work on ensuring that franchises and international cricket can co-exist.
““The Board expressed concern about the increasing expansion of franchise cricket and resolved to form a committee to assess the coherence of franchise cricket with the international calendar within the existing framework,” the statement said.
Many more to follow….