Major League Cricket
Encyclopedia
Major League Cricket, or MLC, is a New York based company dedicated to running a professional cricket
competition within the United States
, as well as developing and promoting the sport to raise its profile in North America
. MLC has not been recognised by the United States of America Cricket Association
(USACA), and thus has no official status within the recognised international structure of cricket
.
MLC formed in New Jersey in 2000, with the explicit goals of developing grassroots
support for young cricketers in the U.S. and leading up to professional competitiveness at the international level. During its early years, MLC was stifled from achieving much within the organisation of cricket by USACA. However, with the increasing disruption to U.S. cricket administration caused by political turmoil within USACA, the overall structure of U.S. cricket began to break down, allowing MLC to step into the fray and begin organising its own events.
With the collapse of the ambitious Pro Cricket
league following its maiden, and only, season in 2004, MLC became a major player in the complex political situation in which American cricket found itself. In February 2006, MLC approached the International Cricket Council
with a formal request to recognise it as the official governing body of cricket in the USA, in preference to USACA. The request was eventually turned down by the ICC.
, to be played that August, as part of its program of youth cricket development. Italian sporting goods manufacturer L-SPORTO sponsored the competition. However, in July the tournament was first moved to New Jersey
, and then cancelled, with MLC citing "logistical problems" as the reason.
, under the patronage of former West Indies
captain and International Cricket Council
match referee
Sir Clive Lloyd
. Due to Hurricane Wilma
, it was postponed to the end of November, eventually being played between 30 November and 4 December.
Teams representing the states of Florida
, North Carolina
, Pennsylvania
, Texas
, Virginia
and Washington played in the inaugural tournament. The tournament will include two divisions, one for senior players, and one for players under the age of 25. Former West Indian opening batsman Desmond Haynes
will be involved with coaching national U.S. youth and senior teams selected during the tournament.
Teams playing in the Cup may include one international player.
. MLC has stated the goal of preparing a U.S. team capable of qualifying for the 2011 Cricket World Cup
.
Another part of the development program is the establishment of world class cricket playing facilities in the U.S. To this end, MLC met with The Walt Disney Company
and convinced them to pledge over 30 acres (12.1 ha) of land in Florida for the construction of a custom multi-function cricket and soccer stadium.
league in the U.S., with a first season to have been played in 2007. Players for the tournament were to have been recruited from the state-based teams represented in the Sir Clive Lloyd Cup.
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
competition within the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, as well as developing and promoting the sport to raise its profile in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. MLC has not been recognised by the United States of America Cricket Association
United States of America Cricket Association
The United States of America Cricket Association is the official governing body of the sport of cricket in the United States. USACA sponsors the United States cricket team that is recognized by the International Cricket Council, and has been an associate member of that body since 1965.USACA...
(USACA), and thus has no official status within the recognised international structure of cricket
International structure of cricket
There was no formal structure of international cricket until the early twenty first century. It had long been traditional for countries, without any intervention from a body such as the International Cricket Council , to organize for themselves the various cricket matches...
.
MLC formed in New Jersey in 2000, with the explicit goals of developing grassroots
Grassroots
A grassroots movement is one driven by the politics of a community. The term implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it are natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures...
support for young cricketers in the U.S. and leading up to professional competitiveness at the international level. During its early years, MLC was stifled from achieving much within the organisation of cricket by USACA. However, with the increasing disruption to U.S. cricket administration caused by political turmoil within USACA, the overall structure of U.S. cricket began to break down, allowing MLC to step into the fray and begin organising its own events.
With the collapse of the ambitious Pro Cricket
Pro Cricket
Pro Cricket was a professional cricket league in the United States. It was operated by American Pro Cricket LLC , a private company independent of the ICC and the USACA. Kalpesh Patel served as Pro Cricket's chairman and commissioner....
league following its maiden, and only, season in 2004, MLC became a major player in the complex political situation in which American cricket found itself. In February 2006, MLC approached the International Cricket Council
International Cricket Council
The International Cricket Council is the international governing body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from England, Australia and South Africa, renamed the International Cricket Conference in 1965, and took up its current name in 1989.The...
with a formal request to recognise it as the official governing body of cricket in the USA, in preference to USACA. The request was eventually turned down by the ICC.
Under-15 Tournament
On June 7, 2005, MLC announced an under-15 tournament in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, to be played that August, as part of its program of youth cricket development. Italian sporting goods manufacturer L-SPORTO sponsored the competition. However, in July the tournament was first moved to New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, and then cancelled, with MLC citing "logistical problems" as the reason.
Sir Clive Lloyd Cup
MLC announced a new National Interstate Cricket Cup tournament, to be held in November 2005 in Broward County, FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, under the patronage of former West Indies
West Indian cricket team
The West Indian cricket team, also known colloquially as the West Indies or the Windies, is a multi-national cricket team representing a sporting confederation of 15 mainly English-speaking Caribbean countries, British dependencies and non-British dependencies.From the mid 1970s to the early 1990s,...
captain and International Cricket Council
International Cricket Council
The International Cricket Council is the international governing body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from England, Australia and South Africa, renamed the International Cricket Conference in 1965, and took up its current name in 1989.The...
match referee
Match referee
A match referee is an official appointed to oversee professional cricket matches. Match referees for Test matches and One Day Internationals are appointed by the International Cricket Council...
Sir Clive Lloyd
Clive Lloyd
Clive Hubert Lloyd CBE AO is a former West Indies cricketer. He captained the West Indies between 1974 and 1985 and oversaw their rise to become the dominant Test-playing nation, a position that was only relinquished in the latter half of the 1990s...
. Due to Hurricane Wilma
Hurricane Wilma
Hurricane Wilma was the most intense tropical cyclone ever recorded in the Atlantic basin. Wilma was the twenty-second storm , thirteenth hurricane, sixth major hurricane, and fourth Category 5 hurricane of the record-breaking 2005 season...
, it was postponed to the end of November, eventually being played between 30 November and 4 December.
Teams representing the states of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
and Washington played in the inaugural tournament. The tournament will include two divisions, one for senior players, and one for players under the age of 25. Former West Indian opening batsman Desmond Haynes
Desmond Haynes
Desmond Leo Haynes is a West Indian cricketer and cricket coach. He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1991. Haynes formed a formidable partnership with Gordon Greenidge for the West Indies cricket team in Test cricket during 1980s. Between them they managed 16 century stands, four in excess of...
will be involved with coaching national U.S. youth and senior teams selected during the tournament.
Teams playing in the Cup may include one international player.
United States Cricket Development Program
In July 2005, MLC announced an ambitious 10-year program for the development of domestic competition and international level cricket skills within the U.S. The program includes plans to establish National Cricket Centres to encourage local development, a National Cricket Academy, and certification of cricket coaches and umpiresUmpire (cricket)
In cricket, an umpire is a person who has the authority to make judgements on the cricket field, according to the Laws of Cricket...
. MLC has stated the goal of preparing a U.S. team capable of qualifying for the 2011 Cricket World Cup
2011 Cricket World Cup
The 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup was the tenth Cricket World Cup. It was played in India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. It was Bangladesh's first time co-hosting a World Cup...
.
Another part of the development program is the establishment of world class cricket playing facilities in the U.S. To this end, MLC met with The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
and convinced them to pledge over 30 acres (12.1 ha) of land in Florida for the construction of a custom multi-function cricket and soccer stadium.
Professional Twenty20 League
In September 2005, MLC announced plans to launch a professional eight team Twenty20Twenty20
Twenty20 is a form of cricket, originally introduced in England for professional inter-county competition by the England and Wales Cricket Board , in 2003. A Twenty20 game involves two teams, each has a single innings, batting for a maximum of 20 overs. Twenty20 cricket is also known as T20 cricket...
league in the U.S., with a first season to have been played in 2007. Players for the tournament were to have been recruited from the state-based teams represented in the Sir Clive Lloyd Cup.
External links
- As of December 2007 the MLC web site is no longer working. Please see the .