BCCI plans international Twenty20 league

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is on the verge of forming a two-tier cricket league that will involve domestic leagues in four countries and an international league. It's believed to be along the lines of professional football, with clubs being able to hire players from wherever they like to play in a Twenty20 format. Cricket Australia (CA) is believed to be involved in the process and the International Management Group (IMG), the event manager, is putting it all together.

IMG is set to meet with officials of four cricket boards - India, Australia, South Africa and England - next week in Singapore, to finalise the details. According to the deal, details of which first appeared in Hindustan Times, there will be domestic leagues in these countries, where the cricket economy can support such a structure. Players from other countries, including Pakistan and Sri Lanka, will be able to take part in any of these leagues.

Further, the top sides from each of the four leagues, likely to be called Professional Cricket Leagues, will then take part in a Champions Cricket League, similar to the Champions League in football.

If this plan does work, it would be a severe blow to the fledgling Indian Cricket League, which has targeted the same sector - format, players, audience - but has the disadvantage of not being recognised by the BCCI, with whom it is effectively in hostile competition.

Lalit Modi, from the BCCI, and James Sutherland, from CA, are believed to be spearheading this venture, and have been planning it for several months.

Officials from IMG recently met Sharad Pawar, the Indian board president, and made a presentation. But it was not put before the working committee of the board - which is the body that will make a final decision on the matter - to ensure it stayed under wraps till the deal was through.

A CA spokesperson, when contacted, did not deny the possibility of such a league but refused to confirm any developments. "All I can tell you is that Cricket Australia is not in a position to make a comment at this stage. We are regularly approached by all sorts of people who have exciting ideas. We're always keen to look at these ideas and see what's possible," he said. "Until we have ink on a contract we don't believe in making public statements. On this issue it would be more appropriate if you spoke to the BCCI."

It has been learned, however, that plans for this league have been on for a while now, and this is not a reaction to the formation and launch of the Indian Cricket League. The idea is that each of the countries staging the Professional Cricket League will hold auctions for team franchises. Corporates can buy a team and then staff it with 15-20 players, although it is expected that there will be a cap on the limit a player can be bought or sold for. What this will mean is that there will be more employment for cricketers, an opportunity for domestic cricketers to earn more. This will also result in the creation of related jobs - coaches, administration, scorers and other peripheral roles associated with the running of any tournament.