ICC Grants List-A Status To USA's Major League Cricket: A Boost For Players

San Francisco, May 28: In a significant development for Major League Cricket (MLC) Season 2, the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday granted List A status to the matches in the domestic T20 competition. This move aims to promote cricket in one of the largest sports markets.

The ICC's decision comes nearly a month before MLC commences its second season and less than a week before the Americas (USA and West Indies) host the T20 World Cup 2024, starting June 1.

The ICC's move officially recognises MLC as America's first world-class domestic T20 league. "Now, every century, half-century, 'five-for', run-out, win, loss, and championship will be documented as official career statistics in an internationally recognised format of the game," said MLC in a statement.

The official status of MLC provides local US players and emerging stars with opportunities for international recognition, furthering the development of domestic talent in the country.

"The List-A status comes after MLC's successful inaugural season and underscores its unwavering dedication to delivering premier cricket in the United States," the statement added. MLC CEO Vijay Srinivasan recently announced the expansion of the tournament from 19 games in 2023 to 34 by 2025.

"We saw cricket mania sweep across the US last year off the back of our inaugural season of Major League Cricket. Now, we take exciting momentum into the highly anticipated ICC T20 World Cup and season two of the MLC," said Srinivasan.

"With an unforgettable summer of cricket on our doorstep, we're ready to capture the hearts of American sports fans with our thrilling, adrenaline-charged game that is the most exciting emerging T20 tournament across the globe," he added.

Sanctioned by USA Cricket, MLC saw several players from across the world, including New Zealand and Australia among others, take part in the tournament last year. Six teams -- Los Angeles Knight Riders, MI New York, San Francisco Unicorns, Seattle Orcas, Texas Super Kings, and Washington Freedom -- featured in the inaugural edition.