The International League T20 (ILT20), which is the official franchise cricket league of the UAE, has been a success with rising popularity of the sport in the country and the locals becoming more aware
about cricket. According to a report published in ESPNcricinfo, the ILT20 has entered into a partnership with the Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation (SACF), who have sanctioned the league as an official men’s and women’s competition which could be held in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the near future.
This partnership will be crucial for the SACF in order to promote cricket as a sport in their country and will also provide the Saudi Arabian cricket players to compete i the franchise leagues all over the world, increasing the welfare of them in the country. It has also led to the ILT20 teams needing to sign at least one player from Saudi Arabia which will work very well for the SACF in order for their players to get recognition and get exposed to the highest levels of the sport.
This partnership is built on the shared vision of growing the game beyond borders: ILT20 Chairman
Khalid Al Zarooni, the ILT20 Chairman expressed his delight on the collaboration with the SACF and mentioned that this deal is beneficial for both the parties working towards the growth of the sport. In his statement, he said, “We are very proud to announce our partnership with the Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation. Saudi Arabia is a key part of the Gulf region, and its commitment to developing cricket is inspiring.”
He further added that this partnership is built on the shared vision of growing the game beyond borders. In the long term, the ILT20 is looking to create opportunities for local players apart from bringing world-class cricket closer to the fans. Moreover, it will be interesting to see when and not if Saudi Arabia hosts the ILT20 matches, which will attract more people to pursue cricket in the country.
