Reuters
[Source: Reuters]
Cricket got a glimpse into its future during a momentous 2023 but its present continues to be dominated by Australia, who bagged the test and 50-overs world titles under Pat Cummins’s inspiring leadership.
After two years of intense lobbying, cricket finally got the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) seal of approval to be part of the 2028 Los Angeles Games having last featured in the world’s biggest sporting extravaganza in 1900.
The sport also dipped its toes into a lucrative new market in the United States this year with Major League Cricket (MLC).
With the Indian American CEOs of Microsoft and Adobe among its backers, MLC hopes to squeeze cricket into a crowded sporting landscape dominated by baseball, basketball and American football.
While franchise cricket is driving the game’s global growth, it may also supplant national boards to become the primary employer of players.
The owners of eight of the 10 Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises also own at least one team in another foreign competition.
The owners of the IPL’s Mumbai and Delhi franchises have acquired teams in new T20 tournaments in the U.S., South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.
