The hectic t20 calendar now has another tournament to add, with the USA tapping into the franchise market with the launch of Major League Cricket. With the joint hosting of the 2024 t20 World Cup with the West Indies, the timing is strong.
The American sports market is naturally saturated and it will be a challenge to get any sort of foothold within the vast landscape, especially given the lack of international presence the American national side hold.
But with MLC, the blueprint is laid out clearly. There are a number of star names that have congregated for the two-week tournament, as well as some recognisable faces that have been granted status as domestic players.
What is the format of Major League Cricket?
There are six franchises in MLC - Los Angeles Knight Riders, San Francisco Unicorns, MI New York, Seattle Orcas, Washington Freedom and Texas Super Kings. Half of those are owned by those who own teams in the Indian Premier League, among others.
There will be 15 matches played in a league stage, with each team playing each other once. The top four will qualify for the playoffs, which follow what is now a fairly universal format in t20 franchise leagues.
The top two will face off in the first Qualifier, with the winner heading to the Final and the loser playing in against a second Qualifier against the winner of the Eliminator.
The Eliminator will be between the two sides who finished third and fourth, with the loser knocked out of the competition. All 19 matches in the tournament will be played at the Grand Prairie stadium in Texas.
Embed from Getty ImagesWho will play in Major League Cricket?
A number of star overseas names have signed up for the tournament. Faf du Plessis, Wanindu Hasaranga, Rashid Khan, Shadab Khan, Quinton de Kock and Andre Russell are among a varied list of overseas talent.
Former top level international players such as Corey Anderson and World Cup winner Liam Plunkett are among a number of players who have moved over to the States and have since been granted citizenship.
Los Angeles Knight Riders
Overseas talent
With a strong stable of talent from Kolkata Knight Riders, LAKR have built their overseas signings around such continuation. Russell and Sunil Narine have played together for the IPL franchise for almost a decade and will join up once again in Texas.
Embed from Getty ImagesJason Roy, who cancelled his ECB contract in order to accept the MLC deal, and Lockie Ferguson will also represent the Knight Riders in another franchise tournament; the latter's compatriot Martin Guptill is also signed.
Destructive South African international Rilee Rossouw is another star attraction, along with Aussie leg-spinner Adam Zampa. Fellow Australian Spencer Johnson showed promise in the most recent Big Bash League season and represents a strong fast-bowling option.
Notable domestic players
Ali Khan has been bought by KKR previously, as well as Trinbago Knight Riders, and he is one of the main men in American cricket. Unmukt Chand, who became the first Indian to play in the BBL in 2022 and is a former India u19 captain, is counted as an American domestic player.
San Francisco Unicorns
Overseas talent
Former Australia captain Aaron Finch will take on leadership duties for the Unicorns. Pakistan's star all-rounder Shadab will provide quality with bat and ball alongside Marcus Stoinis. There is a strong Australian flavour within the squad, with Matthew Wade and Mackenzie Harvey joining Finch and Stoinis.
Embed from Getty ImagesHaris Rauf and Lungi Ngidi provide top class pace bowling options, while Afghanistan's Qais Ahmed will provide trouble for opposing batters with his leg-spin. Providing trouble for opposition bowlers will be New Zealand's destructive opener Finn Allen.
Notable domestic players
The Unicorns have brought in arguably the two best, or at least most accomplished, domestic players available. Anderson and Plunkett will bring huge experience and quality to the side, while Brody Couch has significant experience playing in the BBL.
MI New York
Overseas talent
Again, with the IPL-based franchises there are a lot of similarites with other teams in other tournaments. Kagiso Rabada and Rashid represent MI Cape Town in the SA20, while Dewald Brevis and Tim David play for both MICT and Mumbai Indians.
Embed from Getty ImagesTrent Boult and Nicholas Pooran play for the MI Emirates in the ILT20, with Kieron Pollard and Jason Behrendorff holding ties with the Indians. David Wiese has also been added into the MINY squad.
Notable domestic players
Steven Taylor is arguably the greatest player that the USA national cricket team have produced. He is a strong presence opening the batting and has been around for a while. Shayan Jahangir, Jessy Singh, Kyle Philip and Nosthush Kenjige are some players who played recently in the World Cup qualifiers.
Seattle Orcas
Overseas talent
The Orcas will be able to count on the services of de Kock and his in-form international teammates Heinrich Klaasen and Wayne Parnell. They are joined by fellow South African Dwaine Pretorius.
Embed from Getty ImagesExperienced international players Andrew Tye and Dasun Shanaka add depth and quality, while young Afghan spinner Izharulhaq Naveed brings raw talent to proceedings. West Indies duo Shimron Hetmyer and Hayden Walsh Jr ensure the entertainment bases are covered.
Notable domestic players
USA captain Aaron Jones is one of the main attractions as far as the American internationals go, with Nisarg Patel also in the Orcas squad. Cameron Gannon offers experience from his time in the BBL, while Shehan Jayasuriya has played 30 matches for Sri Lanka and will add genuine quality.
Washington Freedom
Overseas talent
Hasaranga and South African speed demon Anrich Nortje lead the overseas contingent for Washington. Nortje's pace will be boosted by Kiwi quick Adam Milne. Marco Jansen and Ben Dwarshuis will provide a left-arm seam option, with the former particularly capable with bat in hand.
The latter is joined by his Sydney Sixers teammates Josh Philippe and Moises Henriques, while Tanveer Sangha provides an exciting leg-spin option from across the city, with him plying his trade with Sydney Thunder.
Embed from Getty ImagesNew South Wales, where the Sixers and Thunder are based, have a partnership with the capital-based side. The all-action Kiwi Glenn Phillips rounds out the overseas talent alongside versatile West Indies international Akeal Hosein.
Notable domestic players
Dane Piedt played nine Test matches for South Africa between 2014 and 2019 and in 43 t20 matches has an economy of just 6.76. The pace department is further strengthened by USA international Saurabh Netravalkar.
Texas Super Kings
Overseas talent
The third IPL-based franchise, there is again a strong Super Kings presence, whether it be from Johannesburg or Chennai. From Chennai, there is Dwayne Bravo, Imran Tahir, Devon Conway and Mitchell Santner.
Embed from Getty ImagesFrom Johannesburg, du Plessis and Gerald Coetzee have been selected. Their compatriot David Miller is also in the TSK squad along with Daniel Sams, who has impressed in the t20 Blast recently with Essex.
Notable domestic players
Juan 'Rusty' Theron is another former international to have naturalised in America, with the fast bowler having played for South Africa. He made a name for himself with his ability to bowl at the death and has also represented USA internationally.
The 37-year-old played for Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, as well as Jamaica Tallawahs in the Caribbean Premier League. Saiteja Mukkamalla is another USA international to have been picked up during the draft.
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