Cricket's Big 3 in talks to set up Women's Champions League on the back of WPL's success - Reports
Cricket Australia (CA), the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) are in talks to launch a Women's Champions League in 2024. The 'Big Three' are optimistic about the concept, especially after the success of the inaugural edition of the Women's Premier League (WPL) in India.
According to a report by the Sydney Morning Herald, CA chief executive and chairman, Nick Hockley and Mike Baird, have had meetings with their BCCI and ECB counterparts over the course of the World Test Championship final (WTC) and the Lord's Ashes Test. Another set of talks took place during the ICC’s annual conference in Durban, South Africa.
The WPL's ability to draw in such large numbers in terms of viewership as well as claim a bumper broadcast deal through television and digital rights have been a huge factor in the authorities pushing for the Women's Champions League. The WPL sold its rights to Viacom18 for $US116.5 million for a five-year rolling period.
Franchises from the WPL, the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL), and the Women's Hundred are expected to shape up the tournament. The initial plan is to rotate the venues and financial gains like ticket revenue and corporate hospitality will be retained by the host nation.
Women's cricket is arguably at its highest point so far, with lots of potential and promise in the coming years. The recent Women's T20 World Cup, the Commonwealth Games, the inaugural WPL season as well as the ongoing women's Ashes series have all attracted significant attention from all corners.
The decision to award the same prize money to both men's and women's teams at ICC events is also a significant step and also a huge indicator of how far women's cricket has come in recent years.
No plans to re-launch the men's Champions League T20
With talks ongoing to set up a Women's Champions League, and with men's franchise cricket dominating the cricketing circuit, it is natural to see whether the men's version of the Champions League will make a potential return or not.
According to the report, there are absolutely no plans to bring back the global tournament as of now. The competition ran for a total of six years before it was scrapped following a massive decline in interest that eventually made it unsustainable.
Will the women's Champions League concept prove to be a hit among the fans? Let us know what you think.