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USA cricket news
USA moves on plans for Twenty20 league
Cricinfo staff
July 17, 2009
The dream of a major Twenty20 league being staged in the USA came closer to becoming a reality with the news that the USA Cricket Association (USACA) is looking for partners to help it launch such a tournament.
It has invited proposals from prospective sponsors, broadcasters and game development partners, and it is also hoping to arrange international matches on home soil prior to the ICC World Twenty20 in the Caribbean next year.
The decision to issue a Request for Proposals was aimed at formalising the process and create a level playing field in the process of developing professional cricket in the USA. The closing day for receipt of proposals is August 7.
The move is significant in light of the postponement of the inaugural, privately run American Premier League (APL) after it failed to get official sanction.
The USA Premier League will be run by the USACA, with official recognition from the ICC.
"The commercial potential of cricket in the United States is widely recognised and that was underscored by the number of approaches USACA has received from many significant and prestigious organisations ranging from broadcasters to promoters and sports marketing companies," Nigel Rushman, Commercial Advisor to the USACA, said.
Rushman hopes to replicate the IPL's success in the USA. "We are confident that with the right partners, the USA can host a world class Premier League that will fill grounds and attract massive television and online audiences. That is good news for the future of the sport in the USA and the growth of cricket worldwide," he said.
The USACA are looking at many areas such corporate sponsors, TV rights and merchandising to penetrate the market which includes a large number of expats from the Indian subcontinent and the West Indies.
© ESPN EMEA Ltd.
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T20 won't work in America, except for expats. The Americans have a sport called Baseball and it too only runs for 3 to 4 hours. The ICC need to concentrate on Canada, Ireland and Holland where the game already has some sort of leg up.
Posted by farinha1 on (July 19 2009, 01:18 AM GMT)This is 2009-change is here T20/20 can only help cricket, especially in North America--more specific USA. The integrity of Test Cricket will be preserved-don't worry. In US and CANADA every one is busy and do not have a full day to look at a game, so that why T20/20 will do well-just 3 to 4 hrs, the same length as the American sports. In NYC, the Capital of Cricket in US, this form of game will florish. There will be huge financial reward for investors and promotors. As for the cricket lovers, it will be lots of fun seeing your favorite players in your backyard. Moreover, T20/20 will be successful and Test Cricket will survive.
Posted by maximum6 on (July 17 2009, 18:30 PM GMT)As someone who dislikes and abhors 20/20 I can only see its export to America as a good thing because they will make such a mess of it that all the real cricketing nations will want to disown it in style and forgewt they ever played it.
Posted by SaiBharadwaj on (July 17 2009, 17:44 PM GMT)I hope IPL does not enter & rule over American Cricket. Hope unlike ICC, American Cricket does everything on its own without the help of IPL
Posted by NicoliD on (July 17 2009, 17:14 PM GMT)Americans have a 150 year history of Baseball. Americans could have had that history of Cricket, but some historical snubs have seen the sport be a non-sport. It's all well and good that it's a nice sounding plan, but there's no place for these teams to play in the US, and unless you cater wholly to expats, no one is going to show up, even if you give the tickets away. This is going to go down as another epic failure on the part of the ICC. When will every sport looking for a buck realize that Americans just aren't going to watch, no matter how you try?
Posted by TexanCricketer on (July 17 2009, 17:10 PM GMT)Welldone USA. Its a good news. But success of any new sport in USA depends on how it can be implemented at school level. Every successful sport in USA has a Little League Type structure wich creates interest in kids which in turn creates interest in the parents who spends money on the sport by going to the games of professionals, buy star player merchandize and supports the sport. In the begining ex pats can support in big known ex pat markets but USACA and ICC needs to promote the sport at school levels to make it a long term success. Look how Soccer is spread as little league structure and moved it into the mainstream. Cricket will be more exciting to Americans then soccer as it has lot of simillarities with American Baseball roots. Skills of batting and pitching will bring them in. Good Luck.
Posted by vimal_karavadra on (July 17 2009, 17:03 PM GMT)there is an IPL which is bad enough for test cricket but this will just kill it further
Posted by hoodbu on (July 17 2009, 13:17 PM GMT)Anybody here remember the Pro Cricket 100 venture in 2004? Kal Patel might want to comment.
Posted by vivek464 on (July 17 2009, 11:55 AM GMT)Hi, I would really support this APL. I am 10 years old and play Under-15 for the Atlantic Region, and I would like to play cricket until I am in America. Nice USACA!!! Thanks, Vivek
Posted by ganeshholla.v on (July 17 2009, 11:40 AM GMT)Well done Aaron Iftekhar...by the way what game are you talking about??? I hope it is not 'Cricket'!!!