“I’m super excited,” Rajaraman told theHerald andThe Age. “It’s all going to come down to the quality of the cricket that gets played and I think it will be super high-quality cricket.
“We really have a shot of becoming,in the long run,one of the top three T20 tournaments in the world. That’s where we’ve set our sights and we think it’s possible.”
Aaron Finch will captain the San Francisco Unicorns in the USA’s Major Cricket LeagueCredit:Getty
Leading overseas players in the MLC can earn $260,000 for five matches and a potential final compared to top Big Bash players without marketing deals,who max out at about $220,000 for 14 games plus finals.
San Francisco has a partnership with Cricket Victoria,which will provide staff and expertise for the tournament along with players,hence the signing of Finch from the Renegades and Stoinis from the Stars,with the likelihood of more to come.
They will be joined by former World Cup-winning England fast bowler Liam Plunkett and former New Zealand allrounder Corey Anderson,who are among 46 former first-class cricketers now living and playing in the US’s Minor League.
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Victoria followed a model first set up byCricket NSW in a partnership with Washington Freedom, which is likely to see NSW players join that franchise. Washington Freedom have combined with George Mason University to study the feasibility of a new multi-purpose cricket and baseball facility.
The Freedom have signed the world’s fastest bowler,South African Anrich Nortje,and Sri Lankan leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga.
The remaining four teams are essentially owned or run by IPL teams,which has already had a direct impact with the signing of Mitch Marsh by the Seattle Orcas,who are co-owned by the Delhi Capitals,Marsh’s IPL club. He will be joined at the Orcas by former South African captain Quinton de Kock.
Other MLC franchises with IPL connections are the Texas Super Kings, MI (Mumbai Indians) New Yorkand Los Angeles Knight Riders.
The biggest hurdle to the event are the petty administrative squabbles which have held cricket in the US back for decades.
Mitchell Marsh has been signed by the Seattle Orcas through his IPL club Delhi.Credit:AP
The International Cricket Council has sent letters to major cricketing countries saying that USA Cricket,which has a long-term agreement with MLC,have not sanctioned the event. However,an MLC spokesman said the necessary sanction was expected in the coming days.
Cricinfo reported that the hold-up may be a ploy by USA Cricket to try and extract more revenue from MLC investors.
There has been a concerted effort in recent years to raise the standard of cricket in the US through the Minor League,with a two-week trial of the best players before an inaugural Major League draft for local players held early this week.
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Victoria and NSW,who are compiling team lists and overseeing high performance for their franchise partners,sent representatives to the trials and the draft.
Cricket Victoria’s CEO Nick Cummins and Cricket NSW head of elite male cricket,Michael Klinger,were impressed with the quality of local players,describing them as ranging from BBL to Premier Club (Grade Cricket) standard.
The combined start-up costs for the MLC and the six clubs,which are all privately owned,is estimated at $180 million. And up to that much again will be invested in the coming years building elite venues for each team in a country where baseball diamonds and rectangular football fields dominate the landscape.
At least the first two editions of the MLC will be played at Grand Prairie Stadium near Dallas,Texas,at a small,redeveloped ground where the AirHogs independent minor league baseball team had a short life before being put out of business by COVID-19. Some matches will also be played at a venue in North Carolina.
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