ICC gives official List A status to Major League Cricket ahead of second season

Major League Cricket. (Photo Source: MLC)

After a very successful inaugural season in 2023, the organisers of Major League Cricket (MLC) are trying to make the second season bigger and better. They have received a major boost as the International Cricket Council (ICC) has given the league the coveted List A status.

MLC becomes the second Associate-nation franchise tournament to gain List A status from ICC, after the UAE’s ILT20. The status means that the USA-based franchise tournament will now be recognised as an official T20 league, with tournament playing records now counted as official statistics of the shortest format of the game.

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“We are really excited for the news as it’s a recognition of the standard and high quality of players taking part in the tournament. By awarding MLC List A status for the upcoming season, it assists to acknowledge the strength and growing stature of the tournament and ultimately will help to enhance the credibility of the sport in the USA on a global scale. The most important part for me though is it ensures the performances of some of the world’s best players alongside their peers are adequately reflected in their career statistics,” tournament director Justin Geale told ESPNcricinfo.

“Really thankful to the ICC for taking the time to look at it as cricket in the USA doesn’t always fit into a template. We are an Associate nation and proud of that, one with a unique opportunity in front of us. It’s our hope that on the back of the upcoming World Cup and a successful season we can continue to build a platform for the sport to grow and ultimately succeed in the USA,” he added.

The highly-anticipated second season of MLC will start on July 5, a week after the T20 World Cup concludes on June 29. The T20 World Cup commences in Dallas, USA on June 1, in what is going to be a crucial season in the sport’s continuing efforts to attract the US audience.

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The Guardian, which reported on the awarding of List A status on Monday, May 27, also revealed MLC’s plans to expand from the current six teams to 10 in the coming years. This will facilitate a leap from 19 games in 2023 to 34 by 2025. Meanwhile, 25 games have already been scheduled for the 2024 edition of the tournament.