English cricket chiefs confirmed on Monday that they have held talks with the owners of the Indian Premier League (IPL) about acquiring a stake in the domestic Hundred competition. The fourth edition of the controversial 100-ball-a-side tournament, which features eight specially created teams – each with a men’s and a women’s side – rather than the traditional 18 first-class English counties, begins on Tuesday. Its future remains uncertain, with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) seeking to secure private investment in a bid to consolidate its position in the global calendar and boost national football’s finances.
The ECB is trying to balance the desire for a cash injection while maintaining control of the Hundred by selling a 49 percent stake in each team to private investors, with the host teams retaining the remaining 51 percent shares. .
But hosts could sell part or all of their shares.
“Control happens at different levels, at the team level and at the competition level – this is not something we are ceding control over,” ECB Chief Executive Richard Gould told reporters during a conference call.
“Different groups of investors have different needs, for some it is about controlling what happens on the ground, for others it is the commercial element.
“You are right about the strength of the Indian market – it accounts for probably 90 per cent of the revenues coming from the ICC (International Cricket Council) and we have seen the proliferation of IPL teams moving out of their home market into other national markets. I think this is welcome,” he added.
The rich T20 IPL, a multi-million-dollar spectacle buoyed by mass enthusiasm for cricket in India, the world’s most populous nation, has changed the global landscape of the sport, with players no longer needing to go through the grind of five-day international Test matches to enjoy of lucrative careers.
There is a view that IPL owners, like the billionaire Ambani family who are in charge of Mumbai Indians, would only be interested in full control of a Hundred team.
“There is certainly the opportunity for people to potentially have 100% ownership,” Gould said.
“It depends on the capabilities they can bring, both in terms of financing and operational delivery.”
ECB director of commercial operations Vikram Banerjee said that while he had spoken to the IPL owners about the Hundred, he was also open to offers from the American football NFL.
“I’ve met and spoken several times with all the IPL and WPL (Women’s Premier League) owners who don’t overlap and there’s interest in that from what I’ve been told, which is fantastic and makes for a very exciting process,” he said. Banerjee.
“I really hope we have a certain level of partnership with some IPL teams, I think that would be brilliant. They did a great job and know cricket very well.”
He added: “At the same time, we just sent a document and a video to some NFL owners that explains what cricket is and what the rules are.
“In terms of fan engagement, how they can build the stadium experience and bring in the next generation, these guys are incredible.
“So we can bring that mix together, which I think is what we hope to do and could work really well.”
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