Surrey planning to hold annual exhibition matches between teams from IPL, PSL, BBL and other T20 leagues

England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is all set to take cricket to next level with the inaugural edition of The Hundred to take place this year. It was earlier reported that in order to monetise the tournament, the ECS is prepared to sell stakes in the franchises of The Hundred. However, the reports are surfacing now that Surrey and other counties are planning to develop the game to recover from their financial losses due to the pandemic.

Surrey is actually planning to organise a mini-tournament involving IPL teams and the sides from West Indies, Bangladesh and Pakistan on a rotation basis. If it is a sell-out at the Oval to watch these matches, then Surrey would earn a whopping £1 million with broadcast income yet to come into the picture.

However, ECB’s rules are keeping them away from arranging friendlies or exhibition matches at the moment and the counties are urging the board to relax these rules. “We think the most deliverable plan is at the end of the season to bring an IPL team or teams from other parts of the world to play in a small baby-steps competition.

“There are two venues in London plus Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds all of whom I know would be interested in hosting those events but what we don’t currently have is a green light to do it,” Surrey’s chief executive Richard Gould told Telegraph Sport.

“All of the contracts we have signed in the last year have increased control measures from ECB that prevent us from putting on any significant games without their permission which makes us more nervous about investing in such a venture. If we get a green light from the ECB we know there is so much more we could do for the global audience that surrounds us in London,” he added.

ECB and BCCI rules creating a hindrance

Gould also went on to say that there have informal talks with IPL teams over the last couple of years but nothing significant has materialised yet due to ECB and BCCI rules. Even the Test venues have suffered big losses as only a couple of venues hosted matches during the previous summer due to bio-bubble rules.