Pakistan Likely to Miss Inaugural World Clubs T20 Championship

Pakistan is expected to be left out of the first edition of the World Clubs T20 Championship. This event, scheduled for next year, has the support of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and its chairman, Jay Shah.

A source indicated that the Pakistan Super League (PSL) champions are unlikely to be invited to participate in the high-profile tournament.

Reason for Exclusion

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

PCB’s Absence

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

The meeting saw participation from CEOs of several prominent franchise-based T20 leagues and was organized by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) with backing from the ICC. Representatives from leagues like 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 details.

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

“Even though the planned event has the support of the Indian board, the inaugural championship will not include IPL participation,” the source added.

Strategic Context

The drive to accelerate the launch of the World Clubs Championship is seen as a strategic move to counter Saudi Arabia’s proposed cricket league, which aims to attract international talent with an initial investment of $400 million.

The World Clubs Championship is anticipated to mirror the format of the former Champions League T20 (CLT20), which took place from 2009 to 2015.

The CLT20 brought together leading T20 teams from around the globe but was eventually halted due to poor viewership, insufficient sponsorship, and the dominance of IPL teams, with Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings each securing two titles.

Evolution of T20 Leagues

The global T20 landscape has undergone rapid transformation in recent years. Numerous major cricketing nations now host their own successful franchise leagues, attracting significant fan engagement.

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

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