PSL Champions Face Potential Exclusion from World Clubs T20 Championship

The inaugural edition of the World Clubs T20 Championship, slated for launch next year with the endorsement of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and its chairman, Jay Shah, may proceed without Pakistan’s participation.

A source familiar with the situation indicates that the Pakistan Super League (PSL) champions are unlikely to receive an invitation to this prestigious tournament.

The potential exclusion follows the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) non-attendance at a critical meeting held last month during the Cricket Connect Summit in London.

Absence from Key Meeting

“The PCB was invited to send the PSL CEO to the meeting, but no one attended,” the source stated.

The meeting, supported by the ICC, was hosted by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and included CEOs from prominent franchise-based T20 leagues.

High-ranking officials from the Big Bash League (BBL), SA20, The Hundred, Caribbean Premier League (CPL), Major League Cricket (MLC), and the UAE’s ILT20 were present to discuss the tournament’s proposed structure, schedule, and operational guidelines.

“The Pakistan Cricket Board was invited to send its CEO of the PSL for a meeting held alongside the cricket connect meeting in London last month, but no one was present,” the source clarified.

Tournament Details and Strategic Context

The source affirmed that the initial World Clubs T20 Championship will involve five teams and will exclude any teams from the Indian Premier League (IPL), despite backing from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

“Though the planned event has the support of the Indian board, the inaugural championship will not feature any IPL participation,” the source added.

The initiative to accelerate the World Clubs Championship is viewed as a strategic maneuver to counter Saudi Arabia’s envisioned cricket league, which seeks to attract top-tier talent through a $400 million initial investment.

The format of the World Clubs Championship is expected to mirror the discontinued Champions League T20 (CLT20), which was held from 2009 to 2015.

CLT20 gathered leading T20 teams from across the globe but was eventually shut down due to poor viewership, insufficient sponsorship, and the dominance of IPL teams, with Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings each securing two titles.

Evolving T20 Landscape

The global T20 environment has seen rapid transformation in recent years. Almost every major cricket-playing nation now organizes its own successful franchise league, resulting in increased fan participation.

Nations such as India, Pakistan, Australia, South Africa, England, the West Indies, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, the UAE, and the USA all host competitive T20 tournaments.

The USA has become a significant player with the creation of Major League Cricket (MLC), and Guyana has recently launched the Global T20 Super League, featuring franchises like the Guyana Amazon Warriors (CPL), Rangpur Riders (BPL), Lahore Qalandars (PSL), Hampshire (Vitality Blast), and Victoria (Australia).