TORONTO, CANADA – Cricket Canada is all set to host the inaugural edition of the Global T20 Canada —
country’s professional league – to be played from June 28 to July 15, 2018.
Global T20 Canada will consist of six teams, five representing Canadian cities – Edmonton Royals, Montreal Tigers, Toronto Nationals, Vancouver Knights and Winnipeg Hawks – with a sixth, Cricket West Indies representative team, consisting entirely of players from the Caribbean, as part of an official partnership with Cricket West Indies, said the organisers of the league here on Friday.
Canada is ready to welcome the galaxy of stars. @canadiancricket #cricketcomeshome pic.twitter.com/ukK8cqxVM4
— GT20 Canada (@Gt20Canada) May 24, 2018
Shahid Afridi, Chris Gayle, Andre Russell, Darren Sammy, Lasith Malinga, Steve Smith, Sunil Narine, Chris Lynn, David Miller and Dwayne Bravo will participate in the upcoming mega event.
Speaking about this association, Cricket West Indies (CWI) President, Dave Cameron, said, “On behalf of CWI, I would like to wish Global T20 Canada much success. The growth of our region will largely depend on the success of leagues and tournaments like this. We support Cricket Canada and look forward to working even closer going forward, so congratulations and all the best to Cricket Canada and Mercuri Group.”
Cricket is coming home! @canadiancricket pic.twitter.com/MtYDn9qWSt
— GT20 Canada (@Gt20Canada) May 24, 2018
Teams will be stocked with players through a draft that will take place on May 30. Four roster spots will be set aside for Canadians reflecting organizers’ plan to leverage the league to develop future Canadian talent that will lead the men’s national team to succeed in international competitions, in both the Twenty20 and Test formats.
The league will comprise 22 matches culminating in playoffs and the championship match on July 16. All contests will take place at Maple Leaf Cricket Club, a cricket-specific facility just north of Toronto that will be expanded to a capacity of 7,000 seats.
“Global T20 Canada marks the first time a nation with associate member status is launching a league – a major step forward in cricket’s global development,” says Ranjit Saini, President, Cricket Canada.
“Canadian cricket fans will have a great opportunity to see up close many of the world’s greatest players, and I’d like to thank International Cricket Council, CWI and the international cricket community for their guidance and support in growing cricket in Canada.”
As the newest international league in the format, Global T20 Canada joins a growing list of competitions in India, Australia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and the Caribbean.
League broadcast partners, the broadcast schedule, and ticket information will be announced in the coming days, says a statement issued by the body.
