Major League Cricket in USA gets List-A status from ICC; What does it mean for players?

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San Francisco, May 28: In a massive shot in the arm to the upcoming Major League Cricket Season 2, the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday (May 28) granted List A status to the matches in domestic T20 competition. The move is aimed at promoting the game in one of the biggest sports markets.

The ICC's decision comes nearly a month before MLC commences its second season and less than a week before the Americas (USA and West Indies) host cricket's showpiece event, the T20 World Cup 2024, starting June 1.

What Does ICC List A Status Means To MLC?

The ICC's move makes MLC as the official T20 league and America's first world-class domestic tournament. "Now, every century, half-century, 'five-for', run-out, win, loss, and championship will be documented as official career statistics in an internationally recognised format of the game," said MLC in a statement.

Boost to local USA Cricketers

The official status of MLC means it will provide local US players and upcoming stars of the game the opportunity for international recognition, furthering the development of domestic talent in the country.

"The List-A status comes after the MLC's successful inaugural season and underscores its unwavering dedication to delivering premier cricket in the United States," the statement added. MLC CEO, Vijay Srinivasan, had recently announced the expansion of the tournament from 19 games in 2023 to 34 by 2025.

"We saw cricket mania sweep across the US last year off the back of our inaugural season of Major League Cricket. Now, we take exciting momentum into the highly anticipated ICC T20 World Cup and season two of the MLC," said Srinivasan.

"With an unforgettable summer of cricket on our doorstep, we're ready to capture the hearts of American sports fans with our thrilling, adrenaline-charged game that is the most exciting emerging T20 tournament across the globe," he added.

Sanctioned by USA Cricket, MLC saw several players from across the world, including New Zealand and Australia among others, take part in the tournament last year. Six teams -- Los Angeles Knight Riders, MI New York, San Francisco Unicorns, Seattle Orcas, Texas Super Kings, and the Washington Freedom -- featured in the inaugural edition.