The Saudi Arabian government is reportedly looking to establish the most prosperous cricket league in the Gulf after the success of both the SA20 and ILT20, with Indian Premier League (IPL) owners behind them. The country aims to tap into their untapped potential and has already taken steps towards this, such as taking over Newcastle United in the Premier League and hosting the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix for Formula 1. Talks have been in progress for over a year now to set up the T20 league, making it imperative for them to receive approval from the ICC and its other members. Qatar and Oman recently held the Legends League Cricket tournament to illustrate the sport’s potential in the Gulf.
“Cricket is something I imagine would be attractive to them”: Greg Barclay on Saudi Government
Greg Barclay, Chairman of the ICC, recently discussed Saudi Arabia’s interest in sports. He stated:
“If you look at other sports they’ve been involved in, cricket is something I imagine would be attractive to them. Given their advance into the sport more generally, cricket would work quite well for Saudi Arabia.”
“They’re pretty keen to invest in sport, and given their regional presence, cricket would seem a pretty obvious one to pursue.” He continued.
According to the BCCI’s current regulations, Indian players are prohibited from participating in overseas T20 leagues. These guidelines need to be changed to allow Indian players to take part in overseas T20 leagues.
The UAE has become the preferred spot for cricket in the Middle East, with Dubai (Dubai International Stadium), Abu Dhabi (Zayed Stadium), and Sharjah (Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium) all boasting of international venues. ILT20 recently took place there and featured some of the best domestic and overseas talents.
The six participating teams in both the ILT20 and SA20 had Indian owners, some of whom were the same people who owned franchises in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Even more interesting, franchise owners could sign up to four players from their current IPL squads to join their ILT20 team.