Cricket popularity in the U.S. is rising (Photo by Matt Roberts-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)
Chicago and Atlanta have been floated as possible expansion sites for an increasingly bigger Major League Cricket, with a move into Canada also touted.
The six-team MLC made a historic debut last season as cricket continues a determined push into the U.S.
Texas, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington D.C, Seattle and New York are the inaugural franchises – strategic locations with strong South Asian communities.
There is no specific timeline on expansion, but MLC is hoping to emulate the money-spinning Indian Premier League, cricket’s biggest competition which boasts 10 teams having started with eight after launching in 2008.
“We’re not in any rush to expand, but long-term…this is a league of 10 teams in terms of the geography and the market,” MLC chief executive Vijay Srinivasan told me ahead of the second season starting on July 5.
“I think we are happy where we are right now with six teams and then in a couple of seasons from now you’ll see next level of expansion.”
Chicago and Atlanta, major American cities with a significant South Asian footprint, were in contention to be among the inaugural teams but Seattle in the Pacific Northwest won out. Seattle is the only small market franchise in MLC, but have ties with IPL franchise Delhi Capitals.
Major League Cricket is about to enter its second season (AP Photo/LM Otero)
“Atlanta and Chicago…there’s very, very strong communities in those markets that have been very passionate about cricket, so those would be very logical markets for us to be looking at,” Srinivasan said.
“I think there’s a list of about four or five (cities) that are being considered right now.”
A move across the border could also be on the cards although might be complicated with Canada boasting its own fledgling T20 league.
“Vancouver and Toronto has a history of being in U.S. sports. Do I expect Vancouver and Toronto (as part of an expansion)? Absolutely,” Seattle Orcas co-owner Soma Somasegar told me.
“Locations with potential in terms of expansion will have a cricket loving diaspora in larger cities. Houston is also a location that I could see probably having a team.”
Somasegar believed a greater depth of American talent needed to emerge before an expansion.
As I reported recently, teams in the upcoming season will be allowed six overseas players per starting eleven, which is more than the quota of four accepted in established leagues. It is believed MLC is targeting to comply with International Cricket Council regulations in the coming seasons.
“We need to build a larger cadre of domestic players,” Somasegar said. “We need to go figure out how we are going to continue to both cultivate and nurture existing domestic players, and really broaden the footprint for domestic players.”
The ultimate vision is for more teams, more games and a season lasting around six weeks from early June-mid July, helping to avoid clashing with the Hundred competition in the U.K.
Major League Cricket was well supported in its debut season (AP Photo/LM Otero)
MLC officials and owners want a home-and-away season – where the teams play each other twice – to underpin the competition, but that is likely to only happen when all the franchises have home grounds.
Like last year, the entire tournament will be played in Dallas and Morrisville, North Carolina. There had been hope that New York’s $30 modular stadium built for the ongoing T20 World Cup could host games in MLC, but that was not possible.
“We were very optimistic that we could use the infrastructure, but a variety of logistical reasons proved too difficult,” Srinivasan said. “Obviously a bit disappointing, we would have loved to bring MLC to the New York region, which has a team, and it would really have been a great way to jump start all of that.”
The 34,000-seat stadium in Eisenhower Park in Long Island is already being torn down with the U.S. leg of the T20 World Cup complete. As I reported previously, discussions are being held over third party use of the facility post the tournament.
“If it is available next year and it is a viable venue, we would absolutely explore it,” Srinivasan said.
The sheen of the New York spectacle marked by the sold-out India-Pakistan blockbuster coupled with underdog U.S.’ stirring performances is hoped to carry momentum into a pivotal second season of MLC.
“What the World Cup is doing is bringing a lot of attention to this sport. I think we can ride the momentum,” Srinivasan said.
“The World Cup will come and go. But we are here to stay.”