ICC Plan Stricter Regulations Against Franchise Cricket

Jay Shah [Source: x, AFP]

The Jay Shah-led International Cricket Council (ICC) is planning to launch stricter regulations against franchise cricket leagues the world over. The possibility is being considered by the apex body in its Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Edinburg, Scotland. 

As per a documentation, the ICC is becoming increasingly worried that franchise cricket all over the world might well be prone to being corrupted by match-fixers and betting parties. 

ICC planning stricter regulations against global T20 leagues

As reported by BBC Sport on Thursday, July 9, the integrity unit of the ICC believes that there is evidence of match-fixers and betting parties corrupting T20 leagues by infiltrating tournaments and players across several member nations.

The Jay Shah-led ICC is planning to set up a unit that can harmonize franchise tournaments and examine ways in which corruption in such leagues can be tackled. 

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The documentation stated “The ICC are now planning to establish a working party which will seek to harmonise franchise cricket within the international calendar and examine how corruption could be tackled more effectively. As part of the steps taken to mitigate the concerns, the ICC's executive committee will discuss a number of wider strategies during their ongoing annual general meeting (AGM) in Edinburgh.”

ICC considering more regulations for approving domestic leagues

The ICC is also considering to put stricter regulations in place while approving any domestic league. 

As per the current ICC norms, even non-member cricket boards can form a league of its own under certain conditions. The regulations state that leagues of non-member nations should feature more than four cricketers from full-member countries. However, those players should have represented their national side within the preceding 24 months of the league.

Such regulations are quite easy to achieve for non-member boards, with ICC now considering to put tighter guidelines for such boards before approving their leagues.

USA and Canada Cricket Boards remain suspended

Cricket USA and Cricket Canada continue to remain suspended by the ICC. A few weeks ago, the apex council suspended the Canada Cricket Board due to “serious breaches of its membership obligations.”

However, Canada cricket teams will continue to remain eligible in participating in ICC events even during their suspension period, in a bid to protect the interests of Canada cricket players.

An ICC statement reads “Canadian national representative teams will continue to be eligible to participate in ICC events during the period of suspension. To support the continued participation and development of the national teams, Cricket Canada will be permitted to access ICC funding through a controlled funding mechanism, under the oversight of ICC management, solely for approved national team programmes.”

Similarly, the ICC also suspended USA Cricket late last year. The council also temporarily took over the “management and administration” of USA national cricket teams. 

However, USA took part in the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka and will be hosting the cricket segment of the 2028 Olympics. 

Since then, USA Cricket has moved closer to ICC return after a court-approved settlement ended the year-long dispute between the national cricket board and American Cricket Enterprises (ACE).

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