Global T20 Canada launched

By Stephen Weir

Chris Gayle

By Stephen Weir

Global T20 Canada, a new professional league in the Twenty20 format, was launched in Toronto last week.

The  league will consist of six teams, five representing Canadian cities – Edmonton Royals, Montreal Tigers, Toronto Nationals, Vancouver Knights and Winnipeg Hawks – with a sixth, Cricket West Indies representative team, consisting entirely of players from the Caribbean, as part of an official partnership with Cricket West Indies.

“This [the new league] is not just sports entertainment.It is also a primer to help get Canada ready for the 2023 World Cup,” said Jason Harper, the Barbadian Canadian tournament director for the 22 matches in the league scheduled to be played in the Greater Toronto Area  June 28- July 15.

Harper who was speaking at a news conference last Thursday to introduce the league, noted that ” in Toronto, a city that is sports crazy, international cricket is a bit of a fringe  sport.”

Sunil Narine

“But we plan to get Canadian cricket back on the world stage, and in the minds of Torontonians.”

Teams will be stocked with players through a draft that will take place on May 31. Four roster spots will be set aside for Canadians, including one for a Canadian U-23 player, reflecting organizers’ plan to leverage the league to develop future Canadian talent that will lead the men’s national team to success in international competitions, in both the Twenty20 and Test formats.

All contests will take place at Maple Leaf Cricket Club, a cricket-specific facility just north of Toronto that will be expanded to a capacity of 7,000 seats.

“Global T20 Canada marks the first time a nation with associate member status is launching a league – a major step forward in cricket’s global development,” says Ranjit Saini, President of  Cricket Canada.

“Canadian cricket fans will have a great opportunity to see up close many of the world’s greatest players, and I’d like to thank International Cricket Council, CWI and the international cricket community for their guidance and support in growing cricket in Canada.”

As the newest international league in the format, Global T20 Canada joins a growing list of competitions in India, Australia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and the Caribbean. Driven by the success of Indian Premier League and Australia’s Big Bash, the Twenty20 format has exploded in popularity with its pageantry, colour, pop culture elements, and shorter match duration.

Mercuri Canada, a division of Indian-based Mercuri Talent Management (MTMPL), has signed a 25-year deal with Cricket Canada to manage and operate the league.