Canada now has a T20 League!
Canada has joined the list of countries to have its own franchise-based T20 cricket league as, ICC sanctioned the ambitious venture titled "Global T20 Canada." The three-week tournament is tentatively set to get underway this July across three venues in Toronto. The league has been "conceptualized, designed, developed, and managed by India's Mercuri Group" in association with Cricket Canada. Here's more about the tournament.
A six-team league
Global T20 Canada will be 6-franchise league, with the possibility to include 2-3 more teams in the coming years. Each team will be required to have a minimum of four Canadian local players in their 15-man squad. West Indies will be a sponsor of the league. One of the six teams will only comprise of West Indian players, along with Canadian talent.
Canada's association with cricket
Canada has a historic association with cricket. In the first ever international cricket match, Canada beat United States at Bloomingdale Park in Manhattan in 1844. The last high-profile cricket event that took place in Canada was a T20 All-Star event in 2012 at the Rogers Centre. Cricket Canada is expecting the new T20 league to generate revenues in 6-figure range in its first season.
World-class national side in mind
"Cricket is coming back home. We have a long-term vision that includes aiding in development of a world-class Canadian national side. So it is not just about the league, but about the all-round development of the sport." - Sriram Bakthisaran, CEO of Mercuri Group.
