ICC moves to tighten control over global T20 franchise leagues

Proposed cap of four overseas players threatens ILT20 and MLC

The ICC recommends limiting teams to four overseas players per XI in T20 franchise leagues. This regulation threatens the commercial viability of the ILT20 in the United Arab Emirates and Major League Cricket in the United States.

Both leagues currently exceed this limit, having been granted exemptions from ICC capping rules in 2023. The ILT20 allows up to nine overseas players per XI, while the MLC allows up to six.

Five of the six ILT20 owners are involved in the Indian Premier League or Women's Premier League, and four MLC teams have ties to IPL ownership groups.

Stricter anti-corruption and betting sponsorship bans

The ICC is proposing stricter anti-corruption rules to address risks within T20 franchise leagues. The ICC recommends that leagues use the ICC's Anti-Corruption Unit or another approved integrity unit to receive sanctioning.

For leagues deemed high-risk, organizers must bear the costs of the ICC ACU on a not-for-profit basis. The ICC also proposes a ban on betting companies or their surrogates sponsoring teams or leagues to mitigate illegal betting and corruption risks.

New sanctioning fees and review of member authority

The ICC proposes widening its jurisdiction to review or reject sanctions provided by Full Members if they have failed to comply with obligations or present significant integrity concerns.

A review group also recommends that the ICC charge a fee for all league sanctioning applications. This income would fund the due diligence checks and corruption investigations required for such events.

Standardizing solidarity payments and addressing league disputes

The ICC chief executives' committee is set to discuss whether to make solidarity payments to members for overseas players both mandatory and standardized. Current regulations require these payments but allow members to negotiate the specific amount.

This flexibility has led to disputes, such as the stand-off between the Pakistan Cricket Board and the Abu Dhabi T10. A review group is now asking executives to consider a standard solidarity fee, potentially as a fixed percentage applied consistently across all leagues and players.

Concerns over legends leagues and territorial limits

The committee has requested that the CEC and ICC board evaluate the status of "legends leagues". They stated these competitions "generate significant integrity concerns" because they blur the distinction between active and retired players.

Officials are seeking direction on whether these leagues should fall under the ICC's formal sanctioning framework. They are also reviewing how to handle players who participate in these tournaments before playing in approved cricket matches.

This proposed limit could have implications for the various leagues currently staged in the UAE.

Legal standing of proposed ICC reforms

A review group led by Bangladesh Cricket Board president Tamim Iqbal, and including Richard Gould, Todd Greenberg, and Devajit Saikia, sought external legal advice regarding these reforms. The advice confirmed that ICC members would not "have any good legal basis to challenge these changes".