The International Cricket League (ICC) has banned the National Cricket League (NLC) of America and decided not to sanction future editions of the league.
The decision was communicated to USA Cricket, and the letter cited NCL’s failure to comply with player composition rules as the primary reason.
The NCL was required to field seven USAC-affiliated or associate players and the breach of sanction regulations known to NCL authorities before the event.
NCL has sparked interest among cricket fraternity by roping several stars like Wasim Akram and Vivian Richards as its ambassadors. Furtherly, it created a stir by Sachin Tendulkar and Sunil Gavaskar to its ownership group.
In the letter, the International Cricket Council also hinted at problems with the NCL ‘on and off the pitch’. Apart from the non adherence to the playing 11 rules, where one saw 6-7 foreign players being fielded on multiple instances, where the likes of Wahab Riaz and Tymal Mills were mandated to bowl spin to avoid injury to batsmen.
It is also reported that regarding the league’s handling of foreign and potential violations of U.S. Immigration laws. It generally costs around USD 200,000 to sponsor sports category visas for an American cricket tournament with about six teams.
Without a clear model to sustain operations, skipping player visa filings seemed less like an oversight and more like a cost-cutting measure.
The USA has become a popular location for new T20 and T10 leagues. This is partly due to finances of the South Asian emigrated eager to invest in the sport. the presence of nearly 60 FC and international cricketers in the American cricket scene further contributes to the idea of establishing quick leagues.
USAC has reacted to the sports governing body’s warning about the NCL seriously. USA cricket has chosed not to sanction the US open T20, a long standing weekend tournament with a history of over 10 years.
The exact reasons for the disapproval are unclear, but it may be part of ICC’s broader effort to reset league sanctioning standards globally.
