Salary caps will not increase, according to sources, but player wages will remain in the top echelons of T20 professional leagues as America’s Major League Cricket unveiled an expanded schedule for its second season.
The six-team MLC made a historic debut last season as cricket continues a determined push into the world’s biggest sports market. As I reported, the MLC exceeded financial targets with revenues of $8 million, but that has not led to an increase in salary caps, according to sources, for the upcoming season played in July.
Salary caps for teams are set to remain the same, but top players will still be handsomely remunerated and earn $175,000 for a minimum of five games – rivalling the highest figure per game in T20 leagues outside of the money-spinning Indian Premier league.
It’s led to many stars from major cricket nations lured to the U.S, including from powerhouse Australia who don’t play international cricket in July unlike last year when they had an Ashes tour.
Like last season, teams will be allowed six overseas players per starting eleven, according to sources, which is more than the quota of four accepted in established leagues.
Amid an outcry, fearing the sanctity of international cricket, governing body the International Cricket Council tightened regulations last year with teams in official T20 leagues only allowed to field four overseas players.
The rule did not come into effect for the MLC or the well-heeled UAE league, but it is believed the MLC is targeting to comply with the ICC regulations in the coming seasons.
The upcoming MLC season was officially unveiled on Tuesday and will run from July 5-28, with the pointy end of its season set to clash with the Hundred, the 100-ball competition in England.
The American tournament will expand by six games with teams to play seven matches in the group stages ahead of the four playoff games concluding with the final on July 28. MLC officials and owners want a home-and-away season – where the teams play each other twice – to underpin the competition, but that is likely to only happen when all the franchises have home grounds.
Like last year, the entire tournament will be played in Dallas and Morrisville, North Carolina. There had been hope that New York’s modular stadium being built for June’s T20 World Cup co-hosted by the U.S. – costing $30 million as I reported last month – could host games in the MLC.
But that won’t ensue with an unknown over the ground at Nassau County Stadium in Eisenhower Park, 30 miles east of Manhattan, after the T20 World Cup.
According to sources, the MLC hopes to carve out space in the calendar from mid-June to mid-July to avoid schedule clashes with the Hundred. But that was not possible this season due to the T20 World Cup finishing on June 29.
The MLC’s season opener will be a blockbuster between defending champions MI New York and Seattle Orcas at Morrisville in a rematch of last season’s final.
