… tournament bowls off July 25

By Frederick Halley

 TORONTO, Canada – The second edition of Global T20 Cricket League, Canada is scheduled to get underway on July 25, with the final set for Sunday, August 11 at the Maple Leaf Cricket Club ground here.

According to Cricket Canada president Ranjit Saini, “Canada cannot wait for the action to begin. We, at Cricket Canada, are committed to providing much-needed opportunity and exposure to our Canadian players. We will work alongside the GT20 team to make the 2019 edition even more memorable for the players and fans. On behalf of Cricket Canada, I invite the cricket world to Canada.”

The tournament will comprise a total of 22 matches including the three playoffs games with the opening fixture featuring defending champions Vancouver Knights and Toronto Nationals.

A Cricket Canada release pointed out that promoter and owner of the GT20 Canada, Gurmeet Singh, was upbeat about what one could expect from the tournament. “After a roaring success of season one, where we reached more than 50 million cricket fans across the world, I am looking forward to the second edition of the GT20.

“We promise to deliver a bigger, better and stronger cricketing spectacle this season. I am thankful to Cricket Canada for entrusting us with this responsibility. We have a very robust system in place to produce another world-class cricketing event that reflects the best of Canada.” 

Saini disclosed that shortly, GT20 will announce the player registration process along with details of marquee players and the teams’ draft roster.

Former West Indies batting legend, Brian Lara, the brand ambassador of the league, said, “I was there to see the first edition of the league and was enormously impressed with the overall quality of cricket. Despite a few hiccups, Cricket Canada and GT20 team delivered an outstanding event.

“The hallmark of the event was a local boy, Saad bin Zafar winning the Man-of-the-Match in the all-important final in the presence of stars like Chris Gayle and Andre Russell. It proves that cricketers from these countries need these kind of endeavours to prove their talent. I hope GT20 season two will take cricket to greater heights in the North America region.” 

The league has been conceptualised, designed, developed and managed by Mercuri Talent Management Pvt Ltd, an Indian company, with Cricket Canada, the official governing body for the sport in the country. The two have entered into a 25-year Master Licensing Agreement which covers not just the Global T20 Canada, but also investment in developing the grassroots for the sport in the country.

Cricket Canada is the first Associate member of the ICC to set in motion a Twenty20 franchise league in the lucrative North America market.

Prior to last year’s staging Cricket Canada president Saini said the league had the potential to change Canadian cricket forever. “It is a great challenge and Cricket Canada is ready to deliver a resounding success.”

Saini was also confident that the Global T20 Canada may generate revenues in the “six-figure” range for Cricket Canada in the first season and more in subsequent years. “Cricket Canada is very excited by the opportunity and we’re looking forward to it.”

The tournament has also had the blessings of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who participated in a promotional cricket event at a school in Delhi, India during a visit there last year.