DUBAI - After Sachin Tendulkar and Shane Warne looked set to start an ambitious Legends' T20 League in the United States, another league is scheduled to start in 2016 featuring retired legends like Brian Lara, Wasim Akram, Adam Gilchrist, it was announced here today.
The tournament named Masters Champions League (MCL) will be a franchise-based league that will be held across three stadiums in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and has also got the requisite permission from the Emirates Cricket Board. For the record, this tournament is completely different from the one that is being promoted by Tendulkar and Warne. The tournament will be made up of six teams in its first year, with a total of 90 players taking part - 15 members per squad.
The players will all be former international cricketers, who are now retired from all forms of the professional sport. The MCL has been approved for a 10-year period by the Emirates Cricket Board, while the organiser and rights owner of the tournament, GM Sports, is also closely following the established guidelines set out by game's governing body, the International Cricket Council (ICC).
The inaugural MCL matches are due to take place over two weeks in February, 2016. They will be played in the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium and Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Lara, who joined the MCL, said, "I am thrilled and honoured to be taking part in what promises to be an exceptional display of competitive cricket.
The UAE is a great location for a tournament like this to be based, with a big fan base in the country already and easy access for millions of other fans around the world.
"I hope people get behind the MCL and support some of the heroes of the game as they look to extend their careers a little longer. The MCL is a tremendous force for good, which is partly what attracted me to it. The organisers have ensured giving back is a major theme, alongside inspiring cricket in the Middle East and in terms of leaving a lasting legacy."