Minor League Cricket (MiLC) is the only nationwide T20 tournament in the US that is sanctioned by USA Cricket, and internationally recognized by the International Cricket Council (ICC). It began with a series of exhibition games leading up to the inaugural tournament scheduled between Sep 12, 2020 - Nov 30, 2020.
MiLC will feature 24 city-based teams from across the US, filled with the top echelon of talent from across the country combined with three players of international repute in each team. In addition, MiLC forms a crucial pathway for all players to be selected in Major League Cricket (MLC) starting in 2021. Regular season games will be live streamed, with the playoffs to be broadcast live into over 4 million homes courtesy of Willow TV.
The 24 teams are arranged in four conferences (West, Central, East and Southern) and will field an 18-man squad that will be made up of a combination of the best US talent playing alongside international quality players. The official MiLC 2020 selection policy mandates each team’s squad to meet the requirements as indicated below.
3 - players of internationally recognized quality; having represented their country at an international level, or competed in recognized international tournaments
(i.e. 1st Class or List A Cricket)
12 - players based in the US, who are competing at the top
level in reputable state-based leagues
3 - U21 players who have been identified through elite academies as the best upcoming talent in the US
Conference Champions will then advance to the National Finals, currently scheduled to be held in Morrisville, North Carolina, in the first weekend of October. The winner of the National Finals will be crowned the inaugural Minor League Champion in 2020
In 2020, Minor League Cricket will be streamed through USA Cricket’s exclusive partnership with Willow TV, the US' leading cricket broadcaster. Minor League Exhibition 2020 official kit supplier is the Indian based sportswear supplier Omtex.
A new era for cricket in the United States gets underway in 2021
Launching in 2021, Major League Cricket (MLC) will be the USA's premier Twenty20 tournament and will represent the dawn of a new era for cricket in the United States. Featuring 6 teams from major cities across the country, made up of world-class international talent playing alongside the best domestic players in the US, it promises to be the answer for what US cricket fans have been demanding. With games broadcast right across the globe, cricket in the US will appear the world stage.
As well as the talent identified by the MiLC the search is on for world-class cricketing talent across the globe to fill the six Major League team squads.
MLC, exclusively backed by the governing body for cricket in the USA, will also be supported by some of the most prominent companies in the US cricketing landscape. MLC will be broadcast exclusively through the country's leading cricket streaming platform, Willow TV, who are currently in over 4 million households through SlingTV. A number of other prominent investors have also thrown their support behind MLC ahead of its launch in 2021.
John Stephenson
John@cricketinvestor.co.uk
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