More expansions on horizon for T20 franchise cricket

More expansions on horizon for T20 franchise cricket
Mumbai Indians’ players along with the team owner Nita Ambani (C) pose with the winning trophy at the end of the Women's Premier League (WPL) Twenty20 final cricket match between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals at Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai on March 16, 2025. (File/AFP)
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Updated 20 March 2025
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More expansions on horizon for T20 franchise cricket

More expansions on horizon for T20 franchise cricket
  • Beyond financial considerations, leagues have a duty to support ailing domestic structures and act as platforms for developing better talent

The 18th edition of the Indian Premier League begins on Sunday, March 23, with the final scheduled for May 25. This year, the Pakistan Super League will overlap with the IPL, because it had to make way for Pakistan’s hosting of the ICC Champions Trophy.

Compared with the IPL’s 74 matches, the 10th edition of the PSL will feature 44, opening on April 8 and ending on May 19. As further evidence of the expansion of T20 franchise cricket, this number is set to change in 2026.

The Pakistan Cricket Board hopes to expand the PSL from six teams to eight. The existing franchises operate under a 10-year agreement which ends after this season. Expansion outside of the current four cities — Lahore, Karachi, Rawalpindi and Multan — is under consideration whilst media and sponsorship rights will be up for sale with the aim of strengthening the PSL’s commercial appeal and competitiveness.

A part of this recalibration will need to focus on the optimal time to hold an expanded tournament. The previous window in January to February now faces competition from SA20 in South Africa and ILT20 in the UAE. In addition, an increasingly intense battle for the top overseas players is a corollary of expanded franchise leagues.

It remains the case that the IPL attracts the best of those players. It has shown its strength by imposing penalties on any overseas player who, having been picked for a franchise, withdraws before the start of the season for other than medical or family reasons. England’s Harry Brook, who has just done so, faces a ban from participating in the IPL for two seasons. The decision may have something to do with him being touted as England’s next white ball captain.

Despite having separate windows in previous years, there are few players who have participated in both the IPL and PSL in the same season. Indeed, there have been few who have played in both leagues in different seasons. Fears that a clash of dates for the first time might lead to some acrimony over player choices were not realized until this week. Then, South African all-rounder Corbin Bosch withdrew from the Peshawar Zalmi squad in the PSL to join the Mumbai Indians in the IPL to replace an injury withdrawal. Subsequently, the PCB has served Bosch with a legal notice for breaching his contractual obligations.

Pakistan’s poor showing in the Champions Trophy has reinforced concerns its players and administrators are being left behind in cricket’s ever-changing landscape. These have led to the non-selection of Pakistan players for The Hundred, which occupies August in England and Wales. Fifty of them — 45 men and five women — registered for the draft. It is the first time no Pakistani players have been selected. The purchase of equity in four of the franchises by Indian investors has prompted murmurings of a possible “soft ban.” Pakistan players have not played in the IPL since 2008 and the global spread of Indian franchise ownership has led to suspicions of tacit discrimination.

As far as The Hundred is concerned the reality is likely to be more prosaic, as the Pakistani players have overlapping international commitments. Pakistan is scheduled to play ODIs and T20Is in the West Indies from late July to mid-August and may play a T20I series against Afghanistan before the Asia Cup begins mid-September. Franchises are also likely to be worried about the PCB’s stance towards releasing players with domestically contracted obligations. There are already tensions. 

Another concern is the value which Pakistan’s players currently bring to the franchise. Recent performances have been disappointing and they may be caught in a vicious circle of not being able to improve because they are not getting picked. Additionally, they are not being exposed to the latest developments, coaching and analytical tools.

It is easy to assume franchise cricket is all about money; it is, to a large extent. Players cannot be blamed for cashing in, investors and sponsors require a return on their investments, whilst some administrators have regarded it as a lifesaving device for ailing domestic structures. However, the leagues should be more than that, acting as a platform to promote those structures and develop better talent. ILT20 in the UAE has been criticized for having too many overseas players but its long-term objective is to develop domestic cricket.

National boards have been able act unilaterally in setting up leagues, only requiring sanction from the ICC, which rarely refuses. Outside this largely unregulated market a new entrant is rumored to be at its gates. Cricket’s media machine is rife with the story that a new league is being discussed with the potential to produce a seismic twist to the game’s landscape.

The rumor appears to have emanated from Australia. It focuses on competitions for both men and women modelled on tennis and its Grand Slams, with eight new teams which assemble and play matches in four different locations during the year. Neither the proposed identity and composition of the teams, nor the times of year when the matches could be played, have been revealed. There are few vacant windows in an already crowded calendar. This has led to immediate pushback from several national boards, keen to protect their domestic franchises.

Currently, the cricket economy is based largely on income received from broadcasters and distributions from ICC events. It is weighted heavily in favor of India, followed by Australia and England. Smaller nations struggle financially, a situation which will worsen if sales of broadcasting rights in the next cycle generate less than the current one, a possibility given concerns over value provided during the 2024 World Cup. Boards may be attracted by an alternative revenue source.

If the rumors are true, a major backer of the proposed league — to the tune of $500m — could be SRJ Sports Investments, a subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund. Clearly, there is much that needs to be fleshed out — not least player availability, especially those from India; the economic model to be adopted; and the impact on existing structures, both spatial and temporal. It is questionable if those structures can cope with even more pressure.


Three talking points ahead of clay-court season

Three talking points ahead of clay-court season
Updated 8 sec ago
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Three talking points ahead of clay-court season

Three talking points ahead of clay-court season
  • Djokovic will be bidding to finally clinch his 100th title before the French Open starts on May 25

PARIS: Czech teenager Jakub Mensik and Aryna Sabalenka emerged victorious at the Miami Open last weekend, but their attentions will now turn to the European clay-court swing with all eyes on Roland Garros.

Novak Djokovic will be bidding to finally clinch his 100th title before the French Open starts on May 25, after a narrow miss in Miami.

Iga Swiatek is hoping a return to her favorite surface can bring an up-tick in form, while several youngsters are looking to back up impressive starts to the year.

Here, AFP Sport takes a look at three talking points ahead of the European clay-court season:

The men’s buildup to the French Open starts this weekend at the Monte Carlo Masters, where Djokovic is aiming to lift the title for the first time since 2015.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion has not won a tournament since the Paris Olympics and questions about his future were raised after successive shock defeats by Matteo Berrettini and Botic van de Zandschulp, following an injury-enforced retirement from his Australian Open semifinal against Alexander Zverev.

But Djokovic, who turns 38 in May, returned to form in Miami by cruising into the final without dropping a set, before being edged out by Mensik.

“Miami really brought me a lot of joy and really good sensations on and off the court,” said the former world No. 1.

Djokovic, who has won three French Opens, could set an outright record of 25 Grand Slam titles in Paris this year.

Swiatek has endured a difficult spell, punctuated by a doping ban, and has not reached a final since sealing her fourth Roland Garros crown last year.

The Pole has still been consistently reaching the latter stages of events, but has lost the aura she had when world number one.

Sabalenka has established herself at the top of the rankings, but Swiatek remains the “Queen of Clay.”

The 23-year-old won a history-making hat trick of Italian, Madrid and French Open titles last season so will have plenty of ranking points to defend in the coming months.

“I don’t want to think about this too long,” she said after a surprise quarterfinal loss to Filipino wildcard Alexandra Eala in Miami.

“It’s nice to learn from losses but there are other things ahead and I am happy we are going to play on clay.”

Mensik, Eala, Mirra Andreeva and Joao Fonseca have all shown why they are among the most highly rated young players in the sport this year and will be expecting to continue to challenge the best.

Mensik rose into the world’s top 25 with his victory over Djokovic, while 17-year-old Andreeva has established herself in the women’s top 10 off the back of WTA 1,000 triumphs in Dubai and Indian Wells.

Eala, a former US Open junior champion, defied her status as a wildcard by reaching the Miami semifinals, while 18-year-old Brazilian Fonseca has already won an ATP title and is closing on the top 50.

Fonseca, Mensik and Eala are set for their debuts at Roland Garros, while Andreeva has already made her mark on the Paris clay, having reached the semifinals in 2024.

American Learner Tien and Australia’s Maya Joint, 19 and 18 respectively, have also broken into the top 100 this year.


Duke’s great D sends Blue Devils to their 18th Final Four with an 85-65 win over Alabama

Duke’s great D sends Blue Devils to their 18th Final Four with an 85-65 win over Alabama
Updated 7 min 33 sec ago
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Duke’s great D sends Blue Devils to their 18th Final Four with an 85-65 win over Alabama

Duke’s great D sends Blue Devils to their 18th Final Four with an 85-65 win over Alabama

NEWARK, NJ: Duke’s stream of long, tall NBA-ready standouts smothered Alabama and papered over Cooper Flagg’s rough shooting night to lift the Blue Devils to the program’s 18th Final Four with an 85-65 victory Saturday night in the NCAA Tournament’s East Region final.

Flagg made only 6 of 16 shots, including a brick that got stuck in the flange of the rim, but still finished with 16 points. Kon Knueppel, another potential lottery pick, led the Blue Devils with 21 points.

But the most important stat: Alabama’s nation-leading offense, one coming off a record-setting night from 3 in the Sweet 16, failed to crack 70 points for only the second time this season.

The Crimson Tide’s 35.4 percent shooting from the floor was their worst all season and their 25 percent from behind the arc (8 for 32) matched their fourth-worst showing of 2024-25.

Mark Sears, who came one short of a tournament record with 10 3s two nights earlier, finished with one and only six points against the Blue Devils (35-3), who won their 15th straight.

At the Final Four in San Antonio, top-seeded Duke will play the winner of Sunday’s game between Houston and Tennessee. Its win erased any chance of an all-Southeastern Conference show at the Final Four, but with No. 1 Florida winning earlier, it kept alive the prospect of all four top seeds playing on the sport’s biggest stage for only the second time. Khaman Maluach scored 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting and Duke shot 53.6 percent despite its best player’s rough night.

Flagg was hardly bad in this one. He had nine rebounds, three assists and one mega-block that sent Mouhammed Dioubate’s floater flying over press row.

But in a game in which both teams were focused on taking away the other’s best player, it was Duke that did it more effectively, switching off on Sears, locking down the perimeter and never letting him find breathing room.

The fifth-year senior’s first bucket of any kind came nearly 18 minutes into the game and the shot was a 16-footer from the elbow — the exact kind of midrange shot Nate Oats’ team of dunkers and 3-point specialists avoids.

Sears’ first 3 came with 16:19 left in the game. His final line: 2 for 12 from the floor, 1 for 5 from 3. He also had six assists. Labaron Philon led the second-seeded Crimson Tide (28-9) with 16 points. Not a single Alabama player made more shots than he missed.

Duke coach Jon Scheyer, leading the program to the Final Four for the first time since his predecessor Mike Krzyzewski’s last season in 2022, has up to six NBA prospects on his roster.

They all chipped in on offense — Tyrese Proctor had 17 points — and even moreso on defense, where Alabama looked nothing like the team that set tournament records for makes and attempts by going 25 for 51 from 3 against BYU.

Final Four firsts

The only other Final Four to feature all No. 1 seeds was in 2008 when Kansas, Memphis, UCLA and North Carolina made it. The site: San Antonio.

Another title for Tide wheelchair team

It wasn’t a totally lost night for Tide fans. Shortly before tipoff, the Alabama women’s wheelchair hoops team beat Texas-Arlington 67-52 for its fifth straight national championship.


San Francisco 49ers expand global reach with entry into UAE market

San Francisco 49ers expand global reach with entry into UAE market
Updated 38 min 1 sec ago
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San Francisco 49ers expand global reach with entry into UAE market

San Francisco 49ers expand global reach with entry into UAE market
  • The team is the third American football franchise to secure marketing, fan-engagement and commercial rights in the UAE, after the LA Rams and Washington Commanders
  • The 49ers say the move follows more than 3 years of significant growth in the UK and Mexico, during which their fanbase in those countries grew by more than 50%

LONDON: American football team the San Francisco 49ers have secured marketing, fan-engagement and commercial rights in the UAE.

They join two other NFL teams with activation rights in the UAE: the Los Angeles Rams and Washington Commanders.

It is the 49ers’s third international expansion under the NFL’s Global Markets Program. The franchise said on Monday that the move follows more than three years of significant growth in the UK and Mexico, during which their fanbase grew by more than 50 percent in both markets, and a combined total of more than 34,000 fans, known as the “Faithful,” attended events in the two countries.

Globally, the team has more than 50 fan chapters and ranks as a top-five NFL club in eight countries in terms of numbers of supporters.

The expansion was said to align with broader international efforts by the NFL, particularly in the run-up to the debut of flag football at the Olympics in 2028.

“Expanding into the UAE is a major milestone for the NFL and we look forward to growing the Faithful fanbase in this market, following our recent success in Mexico and the UK,” said Brent Schoeb, the 49ers chief revenue and marketing officer.

“We’re excited to team up with our world-class commercial partners, local community leaders and the NFL in this next international expansion.”

The 49ers plan to invest in Arabic-language digital and social media platforms, fan events and youth-focused initiatives as part of the expansion. They said they will introduce in-person and virtual experiences, including watch parties, e-sports competitions and flag football clinics, to give fans a chance to engage with the team in new ways. Collaborations with local influencers, community leaders, and 49ers players and alumni will also help to strengthen connections with the audience in the UAE, they added.

The 49ers Foundation, the team’s philanthropic arm, which uses football to educate and empower young people and is the largest organization of its kind in the NFL, will play a key role in the expansion, the team said, mirroring similar efforts in the UK and Mexico.

Since 2021, the 49ers said they have hosted more than 50 community events outside of the US that have helped to provide young people with valuable educational benefits, career opportunities and sports training.

Through its youth programs in the UAE, the foundation intends to promote STEAM subjects (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics), and encourage the development of leadership skills and healthy lifestyles on and off the field.


Swing king Ashwani Kumar powers Mumbai Indians to first IPL win of season

Swing king Ashwani Kumar powers Mumbai Indians to first IPL win of season
Updated 31 March 2025
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Swing king Ashwani Kumar powers Mumbai Indians to first IPL win of season

Swing king Ashwani Kumar powers Mumbai Indians to first IPL win of season
  • Kumar’s 4-24 — and an overall disciplined bowling performance — restricted champions Kolkata to a modest total of 116

MUMBAI: A sparkling debut performance by medium pacer Ashwani Kumar helped IPL powerhouses Mumbai Indians register their first win of the season on Monday, downing Kolkata Knight Riders by eight wickets.
Kumar’s 4-24 — and an overall disciplined bowling performance — restricted champions Kolkata to a modest total of 116, which Mumbai chased down with more than seven overs to spare.
“We thought Ashwani can come in on this pitch and bowl the way he bowled. It is all the scouts — they picked him,” said Mumbai skipper Hardik Pandya.
“They have gone to all the places and picked these young kids. We played a practice game, he had that zip, that late swing, something off the wicket, a different action and he was a leftie.”
South African wicketkeeper-batsman Ryan Rickelton spearheaded Mumbai’s chase, scoring a busy 62 off 41 balls, an innings laced with five sixes.
Playing their first home match of the year, Mumbai dominated from the word go with New Zealand pacer Trent Boult claiming opener Sunil Narine’s stumps in the very first over of the match.
Narine’s in-form batting partner Quinton de Kock was next to go, out caught trying to loft Deepak Chahar.
Captain Ajinkya Rahane followed soon after, slicing a wide and full ball from Kumar to the deep backward point fielder after scoring 11 off seven deliveries.
Aggressive middle-order batter Venkatesh Iyer struggled to get off the blocks, falling for three from nine balls.
The left-handed Angkrish Raghuvanshi batted fluently for his 26 runs but failed to carry on, leaving the visitors reeling at 45-5 in seven overs.
Despite some resistance by impact substitute Manish Pandey (19 off 14) and the attacking Rinku Singh (17 off 14), Kolkata never recovered.
A late flurry by Ramandeep Singh (22 off 12) helped Kolkata reach the three-figure mark but it was too little too late, with the innings folding in the 17th over.
“Collective batting failure, it was a good wicket to bat on and 180-190 would have been a good total on this pitch,” said Kolkata skipper Ajinkya Rahane.
In contrast, Mumbai got off to a brisk start but India batter Rohit Sharma missed out once again, managing only 13 off 12 balls.
England all-rounder Will Jacks, who came in to replace Sharma, pulled his second ball over fine leg for a six, extinguishing any hopes of a Kolkata comeback.
Jacks (16 off 17) and Rickelton put together a partnership of 45 runs to take Mumbai closer to the target.
T20 specialist Suryakumar Yadav’s quickfire 27 off just nine balls ensured Mumbai crossed the line without further hiccups.


Jamie Osborne targeting a 2nd UAE Derby triumph with Heart Of Honor on Dubai World Cup night

Jamie Osborne targeting a 2nd UAE Derby triumph with Heart Of Honor on Dubai World Cup night
Updated 31 March 2025
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Jamie Osborne targeting a 2nd UAE Derby triumph with Heart Of Honor on Dubai World Cup night

Jamie Osborne targeting a 2nd UAE Derby triumph with Heart Of Honor on Dubai World Cup night
  • Lambourn-based handler, who memorably won contest with Toast Of New York in 2014, hoping latest contender can emulate success

LONDON: British trainer Jamie Osborne is eying another victory in the Group 2 UAE Derby as he prepares Heart Of Honor for the prestigious $1,000,000 race on Dubai World Cup night on Saturday.

The Lambourn-based handler, who memorably won the contest with Toast Of New York in 2014, is hoping his latest contender can emulate that success.

Osborne’s charge has been a regular feature at Meydan throughout the Dubai Racing Carnival, notching two victories before narrowly missing out in his last two outings.

The David Redvers-bred colt, from Tweenhills in Gloucestershire, will head into the race with a tactical change — he will wear blinkers for the first time in a bid to sharpen his performance.

Adding to the family affair, Heart Of Honor will be partnered by Osborne’s daughter, Saffie Osborne, in the high-profile event.

Speaking to Great British Racing International, Osborne detailed his hopes for Heart Of Honor’s performance.

“Heart Of Honor won his first two races in Dubai and was not disgraced in defeat in his last two races. I think there were factors involved in his last defeat and I don’t think he was at his best. We learned a lot about him,” he said.

“I think he just needs to be sharper through the gate and sharper through the first half of his races, and the application of blinkers is to help him with that. We have got him in a better place now than we got him before the Al-Bastakiya. We are hopeful that he will run his best race next Saturday.

“It’s great for the owners, who have trusted me to do this. The plan when we bought him was always to bring him to Dubai for a Middle Eastern winter campaign with the hope that he would make it to the derby. Thankfully this plan has worked out so far, but we have got one more mission to accomplish,” Osborne added.

Osborne remains the only British trainer to have won the UAE Derby, and he reflected on Toast Of New York’s success a decade ago.

“(That) win is something that I look back on with pride, and getting the opportunity to do it again this year with Heart Of Honor is special. It’s even more special to get to do it with Saffie on board,” he said.

“When Toast Of New York won it, she was 11 years old and was screaming at the television at home. When we arrived home from Dubai, she had made all the banners for his stable and was very excited, so it’s thrilling to get the chance to do it again with her,” he added.

Osborne has been a regular competitor in Dubai in recent years, sending a steady stream of runners to the Middle East and picking up notable victories with horses such as Cliffs Of Capri and Ouzo.

He also landed the Dukhan Sprint in Qatar in 2023 with Emaraaty Ana, placed fourth in the Group 2 Dubai Gold Cup in 2022 with Alignak and finished runner-up on Saudi Cup night in 2020 with Mekong.

Osborne said he was enthusiastic about competing in the region.

“Personally, I enjoy coming to race in Dubai and the Middle East during the British off-season, and my clients enjoy racing their horses here, too,” he said.

“We’ve had a good year this year in Dubai, and my horses have won plenty of prize money finishing placed in big races. We look forward to coming back again next year as it works well before our racing starts here in the UK.”