With the introduction of the worldwide league gaming concept in the last few decades, several sports have witnessed tremendous transformations and now its turn of Cricket. The famed English Premier League (EPL) football has been one of the major examples.
Something will come to mind for many sports fans when it comes to this elite championship. Yes, the enormous role of global investors pouring money into the legendary league, and especially the significance of the Middle East region in it.
Popular clubs such as Manchester City, Newcastle United, and Sheffield United have owners from nations such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Apart from football, Saudi Arabia has recently become a major investor in other sports such as golf, in addition to being a vital investor in Formula One.
The LIV golf event is the most recent example. As a result, the Arabian government is now eager to spend extensively in order to capitalise on the region’s cricket potential.
In a similar spirit, the Saudi Arabian government is attempting to establish the world’s richest cricket league, the ‘Saudi Arabian League,’ in the Gulf region, akin to the coveted Indian Premier League (IPL), with the assistance of none other than the BCCI.
According to The Age, Arabian agents have been in talks with the Indian board for over a year to establish the “World’s richest cricket league.”
However, the BCCI now prohibits Indian players from participating in other overseas leagues. However, with so much demand from Saudi Arabia, the board may eventually consider permitting its players to play abroad as well.
World’s richest cricket league on its way
Surprisingly, the league must first obtain sanction from the ICC (International Cricket Council) as well as several major cricketing nations such as Australia. Nonetheless, the ICC chairman, Greg Barclay, had already expressed the Saudi government’s interest in cricket.
“If you look at other sports they’ve been involved in, cricket is something I imagine would be attractive to them,” he said. “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,”
Barclay stated.
Furthermore, the Chairman of the Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation spoke about his country’s interest in this worldwide sport. According to Al-Saud, the country’s goal is to make Saudi Arabia a global hub for cricket, which will boost sustainability for both expats and native inhabitants living in the Arabian Kingdom.
“Our aim is to create a sustainable industry for locals and expats living in the Kingdom and make Saudi Arabia a global cricketing destination,”
Prince Saud bin Mishal Al-Saud told Arab News.
Furthermore, officials of the Saudi government and commercial institutions are said to have attempted to discuss the prospect of hosting the first match or possibly the first rounds of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in Saudi Arabia.
Furthermore, if things go well, the Arabian authorities would like to host the annual Asia Cup in the future.
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