ICC established a significant precedent by disciplining the National Cricket League (NCL) of the United States for violating the playing eleven rule, one year after implementing more stringent guidelines for the sanctioning of T20 and T10 competitions worldwide. The world governing body informed USA Cricket (USAC) of its decision to not sanction the league for future editions in a letter that was accessed by Cricbuzz. The letter primarily cited the non-compliance to the playing eleven requirements, which includes the fielding of 7 USAC affiliated or associate players and the transgression of sanction regulations that were known to NCL authorities prior to the event.
The NCL attempted to pique the interest of the cricketing community by enlisting luminaries such as Vivian Richards and Wasim Akram as its ambassadors. Additionally, it generated controversy by recruiting Sachin Tendulkar and Sunil Gavaskar to its ownership group. Nevertheless, the operational inefficiencies that plagued the league from the outset were not resolved by the celebrity quotient. The ICC also suggested that the NCL was experiencing issues both on and off the field in the letter. Despite the fact that the playing eleven regulations were not adhered to, which resulted in the fielding of 6-7 foreign players on multiple occasions, the wickets at the pop-up venue were substandard. Wahab Riaz and Tymal Mills were required to bowl spin in order to prevent bodily injury to batsmen.
The league’s treatment of foreign athletes and potential violations of U.S. immigration laws were also reported by Cricbuzz. Sponsoring sports category visas for an American cricket tournament featuring approximately six teams typically incurs a cost of approximately USD 200,000. However, Cricbuzz independently verified that not all participants were granted valid sports visas to participate in the tournament upon their arrival in the United States. Skipping player visa filings appeared to be less of an oversight and more of a cost-cutting measure in the absence of a defined revenue model to support operations.
The United States has become a hub for budding T20 and T10 competitions, as the South Asian diaspora’s substantial financial resources are eager to establish a connection with the sport. The notion of establishing a speedy league is further bolstered by the presence of nearly 60 international and first-class cricketers in the American team. Cricbuzz can verify that the United States has submitted the most applications for the sanctioning of T20/T10 competitions on the ICC desk. Additionally, an official from the ICC has acknowledged that the organization intends to implement a comprehensive revision of its sanctioning process in the future.
USAC may have heeded the ICC’s warning regarding the NCL issue, as it recognized that USAC has declined to sanction the US Open T20, one of the numerous pop-up weekend tournaments with a history spanning more than a decade. The specifics of the sanctioning censure are unclear; however, it is possible that it was eliminated as part of a broader initiative by the ICC to reset league sanctioning standards worldwide.
