'It's not our policy to speak about other leagues' - ILT20 CEO David White responds to Graeme Smith's criticism of league

Graeme Smith, the commissioner of the SA20, criticised ILT20, claiming that it doesn't help in the development of cricket in the UAE. However, the ILT20 league's CEO, David White, has debunked this assessment, saying that the league has immensely benefited cricket in the nation, and continues to play a key role every time major cricket tournaments around the world are in need of last-minute support.

Smith recently lambasted ILT20, saying that the league is doing no good for the sport. While the third edition of the SA20 got underway on January 9, ILT20 season three is set to commence on January 11.

"We've been built up against IL T20, so it's very difficult for me to not come across like I'm bad-mouthing them, but I do feel like a league like that is not good for the game; that there's that many international players required to build a team; there's no investment back into local cricket. That is a challenge for the world game and something that needs to be managed going forward," the former South Africa Skipper, one of the most iconic captains of the game, remarked.

Notably, White, who is a former CEO of New Zealand Cricket, hit back at Smith, asserting that ILT20 is the only league in the world that allows players from associate nations to compete in it.

"Oh, Mr. Smith, it's not our policy to speak about other leagues. We are the only league in the world that provides a platform for the associate countries to participate at this level. We've got players from Nepal, Malaysia, USA, Scotland, Netherlands, Namibia and Italy," White told Cricbuzz on Friday.

"Listen, he's entitled to his comments, but I just think that his comments have been made without doing any investigation, maybe he should have taken the time to look at what we're looking to achieve, what we are achieving and the importance that this league has in terms of the growth of cricket in the UAE, the wider Gulf and the international game. It's easy to dismiss the influence of the UAE. The UAE has got unbelievable facilities and privately invested facilities, and it is the backstop for all the ICC events," he further added.

At drop of hat, whether it's Champions Trophy or IPL, they come to UAE: White

Besides, White also mentioned how the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) has come to the aid of world cricket in the past by hosting important tournaments like the 2024 Women's T20 World Cup, Men's T20 World Cup in 2021, and two seasons of the IPL. They volunteered as hosts at the last minute, much to the relief of the concerned boards. UAE is also set to host matches in the upcoming Champions Trophy after India decided not to travel to Pakistan, which was initially set to host the event exclusively, due to security reasons.

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"At the drop of a hat, whether it's the Bangladesh riots or the Champions Trophy or the IPL or Covid or whatever... they come to the UAE. It's a turnkey solution. Beautiful stadiums, beautiful facilities, great training facilities, and of course, the UAE is very happy to host that. The contribution that the UAE makes to the global game is massive," White said.

"The ICC funding is reliant solely on events. And the ICC has been able to provide a fantastic facility and backstop for whenever the ICC gets in trouble. So I think that needs to be acknowledged in the whole scheme of things as well. I think this region has got huge potential, but the influence of UAE cricket and what they do for the global game I think is often underestimated," he added.

Meanwhile, speaking of the ILT20 2025 edition, the defending champions, MI Emirates, are set to take on Dubai Capitals in the tournament opener, to be held at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, in Dubai.