On Thursday, the ECB confirmed it had entered into exclusivity agreements with eight partners to secure private investment in each of the Hundred’s teams, with a total valuation of just over £975 million. Those investors now enter an eight-week negotiation period with the eight host counties. Among them are RPSG Group (owners of Lucknow Super Giants), Sun TV Network Limited (Sunrisers Hyderabad), Reliance Industries Limited (Mumbai Indians) and GMR Group (co-owners of Delhi Capitals), who were successful with bids for Manchester Originals, Northern Superchargers, Oval Invincibles and Southern Brave, respectively.
While the ECB has got its wish with a variety of prospective new owners, there is a strong feeling that bringing on high-profile IPL investment will open up the lucrative Indian market. However, the ECB hierarchy do not believe these new connections will soften the BCCI stance on barring India’s active male players from participating in foreign T20 leagues. While many have graced county cricket, none have appeared in the men’s Hundred or the T20 Blast.
“In terms of the India TV market, the overseas market is very important for us,” ECB chief executive, Richard Gould, said. “The fact that we have got such a wide-ranging set of investors from around the globe will, I believe, help us to add extra value to our overseas broadcast rights.
“In terms of availability to Indian players, that is not priced in with our plans. The BCCI’s position has been very clear. At some point we’d love to see Indian players come and play in England. We currently see them obviously in bilaterals and actually quite a lot in county cricket. But that’s not something that we have predetermined through this process.”
Gould also stated the ECB will ensure opportunities for Pakistan’s cricketers won’t be limited by the IPL influence on the Hundred. Given the tensions between India and Pakistan, no player representing Pakistan has taken part in the IPL since the inaugural season in 2008.
The BCCI has never handed down an edict on the matter, but teams have operated accordingly, and not just in India. The first three seasons of the SA20, for instance, where all six teams are associated with IPL franchises, has not had any representative from Pakistan. There remains little if any Pakistan representation in IPL-owned teams at both the ILT20 and Major League Cricket (MLC). By contrast, the Hundred has relied heavily on Pakistani talent for overseas slots in a bid to uphold its “best versus best” tagline.
“We’re aware of that in other regions,” Gould said of the playing restrictions encountered by cricketers from Pakistan, “but that won’t be happening here.”
The ECB does hope working with IPL owners more directly will, in time, give the Hundred a dedicated window. Previous editions of The Hundred have coincided with MLC and the CPL, resulting in a conflict around talent acquisition. Though the MLC will finish before the Hundred this year, there is a two-week crossover with the CPL.
With three of the eight Hundred investors involved in the MLC – Reliance (MI New York), GMR (Seattle Orcas) and Welsh Fire’s prospective 50% co-owner Sanjay Govil (Washington Freedom) – and former Professional Cricketers’ Association commercial director Johnny Grave in place as the league’s CEO, there is scope for more joined-up thinking around competition windows going forward.
“One of the advantages that we have with our set is that there’s a connection there with majority of the other cricket leagues around the world,” Vikram Banerjee, who oversaw the Hundred sale as the ECB’s director of business operations, said. “And for all of those [T20] leagues around the world, it makes little sense for any of us to clash if we can avoid it.
“So we are now on the same side, if you like, and we can have sensible conversations going forward. For the MLC, that includes that we obviously know the new CEO there pretty well.
“But for us it’s about ensuring that we can make a Hundred of real success in our window by getting the best players, and clashes make that hard. So we’ll do our best to avoid it. And I think all the people coming in understand that.”
Vithushan Ehantharajah is an associate editor at ESPNcricinfo
