ICC Statement On Professional Leagues

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ICC Chief Executive David Richardson: “The ICC, at the request of its Members, set up a Working Group in June 2018 to consider the sanctioning of events and player release.

“The primary purpose of the group was to address Members’ concerns regarding the proliferation of domestic T20 and other short-form leagues around the world. These have created challenges to and conflicts with the international playing calendar and often rely on a disproportionate number of international players from foreign countries.

“Poorly resourced and structured leagues are not sustainable in the long-term and may not support or invest in the growth and development of the game. They may also present challenges around corruption, failed leagues and non-payment of players all of which can damage cricket’s global reputation.

“A set of draft regulations have been developed over the past few months, which are designed to introduce minimum standards for short-form domestic leagues to safeguard cricket’s reputation and protect the long term health of the Members.

“They also recognize and encourage the important role that these leagues, when staged by or in partnership with Members, can play in the promotion of the sport, in raising operational standards, protecting the health, safety and welfare of its participants and enabling professional cricketers to reap the rewards of their talents by mandating minimum contractual protections for players.

“We are fortunate to have some outstanding T20 leagues, including the IPL, which set the gold standard for operations globally and this Working Group has taken into account those standards when developing the draft set of regulations. Our primary objective is to ensure other leagues around the world put in place the same minimum criteria and operate within a consistent framework.

“Reports in the Indian media that the ICC is somehow seeking to interfere in or dictate to the IPL are wide of the mark. That is not the case. As the Chief Executives’ Committee and the ICC Board were advised over the past few days, the development of the Regulations has been led by the Working Group, on behalf of its Members, to ensure the long-term health and reputation of the sport internationally and domestically.

“The Working Group will continue developing the regulations over the coming months.”