The MCL, will in a way, revive the veterans cricket tournament that used to be played between retired international players overs 50-overs per innings.
Pakistan's great left-arm swing bowler Wasim Akram turned 49 on Wednesday. He accepted the birthday wishes from everyone around with a smile and a 'thank you'. Wednesday also saw the birth of the Masters Champions League (MCL), brainchild of legends Sachin Tendulkar and Shane Warne.
The MCL was launched here on Wednesday in the presence of retired international greats and former captains. West Indian Brian Lara, Australian Adam Gilchrist and Akram were presented as icons of the MCL at a press conference. Retired South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis was also named as an icon but was not present at the event. The MCL is approved for an initial 10-year period by the Emirates Cricket Board. The Twenty20 league organiser and rights owner GM Sports is also closely following the guidelines set out by the International Cricket Council.
The MCL, will in a way, revive the veterans cricket tournament that used to be played between retired international players overs 50-overs per innings.
The MCL will be a franchise format and not restricted to the geographical locations but instead assemble six teams of 15 retired international players each. The inaugural edition will be held for two weeks in February 2016 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi's Seikh Zayed Cricket Stadium and Sharjah Cricket Stadium. The dates and the names of the franchises will be finalised in due course.
It is not clear if retired Indian players will also be part of but it has been learnt that the Board of Control for Cricket in India has been informed of the league.
Zafar Shah, chairman of MCL, said that the league will provide another platform for those who have made a name for themselves and for those who have not tasted Twenty20 cricket.
"The players who have retired from all forms of international cricket and have played a minimum of five ODIs, T20 Internationals or Tests will be allowed to play," said Shah. "We will not allow any banned players to come on board," Shah added.
The icons present were excited at the prospect of donning their cricketing gears long after their retirement and swept away the thoughts that they were far from being fit to play.
"I can do it again. I can give it a go. It is fun when I realised that I am going to play again," said Akram. "When I was 24, I was more fit. I knew my game. This time, it will be friendlier and gives me a motivation to be fit again."
Gilchrist said that though the matches will not be very intense like the IPL or Big Bash League, yet they will be highly competitive. "There is a professional integrity when you are committing to something like this. You are here to fulfil your obligation. If you don't give it your best, not only will you be left out in the second year but you will also let down the league, the sponsors and also yourself in a professional manner."
Lara simply put it as "nobody wants to lose," and added that he looked forward to winning something in cricket again after being at the receiving end in the numerous rounds of golf that he has been playing of late.
Former captains Allan Border of Australia and Graham Gooch of England have been roped in as members of the governing council of the MCL. "There is no age limit. If a guy is 27 years, retired, meets the qualification, so be it," said Border.
MCL, salient features:
T20 cricket league for players retired from all forms of international cricket
Only those who have played a minimum of five ODIs, Tests or T20 Internationals will be considered
Inaugural edition scheduled in February 2016
6 teams with 15 players each will play one another in a round-robin format. Top four enter semifinals. A minimum of one player from association nations and maximum of 2 will form part of each team
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