Shillong, April 14: The Saudi Arabian government has made proposals to the Indian Premier League’s (IPL) owners in order to establish the richest T20 cricket League in the history of the Gulf.
The Saudi Arabian government has been actively investing in a variety of sports. After breaking into Formula 1 with the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and the LIV Golf, their next objective is to fully realise cricket’s potential.
The Gulf state, which has signed on as a sponsor for the IPL 2023 season, plans to create the richest T20 league in the world and has contacted the IPL owners about it.
As per reports discussions on the Saudi Arabian league had been ongoing for almost a year. Any prospective Gulf league would need to receive approval from the International Cricket Council (ICC) and its member nations, including Australia.
Saudi Arabia has come under fire for trying to cover up its poor record on human rights by investing heavily in major sports and events around the world, including the Public Investment Fund’s takeover of Premier League club Newcastle United.
After massively funding other sports like football and Formula 1, ICC Chairman Greg Barclay earlier revealed that Saudi Arabia was eager to invest extensively in cricket.
In light of the other sports they have participated in, Barclay speculated that cricket would be appealing to them.