Saudi Arabia has cleared the rumors of launching the world’s richest cricket league. The chairman of the Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation, Prince Saud bin Mishaal Al Saud, clarified the speculations over the IPL auction in Jeddah. “That is not correct,” he emphatically said, and added that the Kingdom did not have any plan to vie with the Indian Premier League (IPL), often titled as the world’s richest cricket league.
Reports indicated that Saudi Arabia, which was awash with its oil wealth, might establish a high-profile cricket league using international players. However, Prince Saud also debunked rumors that Saudi funds were invested in the IPL itself. “That is not true as well,” he said while shutting down claims that link Saudi funds to the world’s richest cricket league.
The speculation came amidst Saudi Arabia’s increasing interest in global sports, especially its investments in football and the widely criticized LIV Golf Tour. The idea of launching a cricket league like the IPL might seem very alluring, but the new rules of the ICC regarding the number of foreign players in a franchise team make such plans rather tricky. The BCCI also came up with a resolution restricting private investments into its properties in indirect methods that ensured the world’s richest cricket league stays undeterred.
Saudia Arabia is not launching world’s richest cricket league, but may consider ‘joint venture’ with BCCI
Despite that, Saudi Arabia keeps going from strength to strength in cricket. Prince Saud raised the possibility of joint ventures with the BCCI in the future and did not categorically reject hosting matches of the Indian Premier League in Saudi Arabia. “Why not?” he replied, emphasizing the plans of SACF to develop cricket infrastructure. The world’s wealthiest cricket league may find a venue in Saudi Arabia, and Jeddah is likely to be ready with a state-of-the-art stadium next year.
Hosting the IPL auction at Jeddah was a big step for SACF, at the helm of an ambitious cricket journey. “The auction has fast-tracked our plans, thanks to the Saudi Government and Mr. Jay Shah,” Prince Saud said as he reiterated his commitment to the sport of the Kingdom.
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