World Club Championship is 'on the cards', says ECB chief executive

The ECB is exploring the viability of a revamped "World Club Championship" for T20 cricket, more than a decade on from the final edition of the defunct Champions League T20 (CLT20).

Several countries have launched new short-form leagues in the last five years, including England (The Hundred), South Africa (SA20), the UAE (ILT20) and the United States (MLC). Global club-based tournaments are also emerging in other sports: football's expanded 32-team Club World Cup begins next week, and rugby union will launch its own Club World Cup in 2028.

Plans are at an early stage but the ECB are interested in the idea of bringing a CLT20-style event back to life. Richard Gould, the board chief executive, told ESPNcricinfo that he sees a global tournament that could add context to the recent proliferation of franchise cricket as "the next logical step" in the sport's evolution.

"That is on the cards," Gould said. "Without doubt, at some point, there will be a World Club Championship - for both men and women. That's the next logical step."

The CLT20, which ran from 2009-14, was run by the BCCI, Cricket Australia and Cricket South Africa, and was discontinued after six seasons. Organisers cited its "limited public following" as the primary reason for its demise, and the tournament struggled commercially despite initially securing a lucrative broadcast deal.

Gould was chief executive at Somerset when they took part in the inaugural edition in 2009, beating IPL champions Deccan Chargers in their opening match. "That tournament was ahead of its time," he said. "Commercially, it couldn't keep up with the expectations on it, but it was a really good event."

The ECB was not actively involved in the governance of the CLT20 and English teams did not take part in the final two editions due to a clash with the final stages of the County Championship season. Finding a suitable window in cricket's packed global calendar is among the biggest challenges in relaunching a similar tournament.

A World Club Championship would also require significant buy-in from Indian franchises: eight of the 10 IPL owners and four of the five WPL owners have interests in short-form leagues outside India. Arun Dhumal, the IPL chairman, told ESPNcricinfo last month: "If it creates value for cricket at a global stage, definitely we can look at that."

ESPNcricinfo understands that England would likely be represented by the winners of the Hundred, rather than the T20 Blast, if the event were to go ahead.

Gould's support for the idea of a World Club Championship stands in contrast to his response to reports of a Saudi Arabian-backed T20 'Grand Slam' circuit earlier this year, for which he said there was "no scope or demand".

Last year, Guyana launched a 'Global Super League' which brings together teams from five different leagues. The second edition of the tournament will take place in July and will feature the champions of three global leagues - Australia's Big Bash League, New Zealand's Super Smash and the UAE's ILT20 - but remains invitation-only.