In a big move one year after imposing strict regulations for T20 and T10 leagues across the world, the International Cricket Council has rejected the sanctioning of the USA’s National Cricket League for future editions. The NCL has failed to comply with some playing eleven rules, particularly the criteria of fielding at least seven players affiliated with USA Cricket. The action on the part of the ICC is a timely reminder of the need to adhere to its established guidelines.

Breaches Of Playing Eleven Rules And Operational Challenges

The letter from the ICC, which Cricbuzz has accessed, highlights how the NCL had breached the playing eleven regulations. The most glaring breach was the repeated use of 6-7 foreign players in the playing elevens, which ran against the rules that the governing body had established. This breach, along with operational issues, is why the ICC refused to sanction further the league.

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Despite efforts to attract attention through high-profile ambassadors like Wasim Akram and Vivian Richards, and bringing cricket legends Sachin Tendulkar and Sunil Gavaskar into the ownership group, the NCL failed to overcome its fundamental issues. Problems both on and off the field exposed the league’s operational inefficiencies. One such issue was that the wickets at the temporary venue were not up to par, which was a question of player safety. Big-ticket bowlers like Wahab Riaz and Tymal Mills were apparently forced to bowl spin, considering the condition of the pitch, with a threat of injury to batters.

Concerns Over Foreign players And Immigration Violations

Cricbuzz, however, also raised their concerns about the management of foreign players and potential breeches of U.S. immigration laws. For massive sporting events in the United States, it usually cost around USD 200,000 for a sports visa for a tournament with nearly six teams. However, it was reported that not all NCL participants entered the U.S. on valid sports visas, which indicated that the league might have bypassed proper legal channels in an effort to cut costs. This oversight, or rather deliberate measure, raised further red flags about the league’s management practices.

USA: Growing Hub For T20 And T10 Leagues

The U.S. has rapidly emerged as one of the most promising nations for T20 and T10 leagues, with partly the financial backing coming through from the South Asian diaspora keen to invest in sport. With about 60 first-class and international players now involved with cricket in the U.S., there is a prospect for a well-thought-through league structure. However, the number of applications for league sanctioning in the U.S. is touching new heights, and now the USA is at the top of the list applying for ICC approval for T20 and T10 leagues. An ICC official said that the governing body was mulling a complete reformation of its league sanctioning process as the number of applications is on the rise.

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USAC Response: Disapproved Of The US Open T20

In light of the ICC’s actions concerning the NCL, USA Cricket (USAC) may have had enough of the governing body’s warnings. It has declined to sanction the US Open T20, one of the many pop-up tournaments that have been running for more than a decade. Although the reasons for the rejection of the sanctioning of US Open T20 are unknown, this might be one of the many steps in the general reset of standards for the sanctioning of leagues globally by the ICC. This is an indication of the push by the ICC to enforce the rules within which leagues would operate to maintain the game’s integrity and sustainability.