Some of cricket’s Xtraordinary players assembled in Dubai on Monday for a gala dinner as part of the celebration for the Masters Champions League (MCL), a unique Twenty20 event, which will be held annually across three stadiums in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The tournament held a star-studded gala dinner on Monday at the JW Marriott Marquis, Dubai. It was attended by greats including West Indies cricketing legend Brian Lara, English icon Michael Vaughan, great former South African captain Graeme Smith, Indian dasher Virender Sehwag and former Pakistani all-rounder Azhar Mahmood. Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly sent through a pre-recorded video message to announce his support and participation in the tournament
The inaugural MCL matches are due to take place at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium and Sharjah Cricket Stadium, which have all previously hosted major cricket tournaments, including the IPL, as well as first-class, One-Day and Twenty20 Internationals and Test matches.
The tournament will be made up of six teams in its first year, with a total of 90 players taking part – 15 members per squad. The players must all be retired from international cricket.
Speaking at the gala dinner, Zafar Shah, MCL Chairman, said: “The Masters Champions League is going to be every cricket lover’s dream come true. It’s a tournament, which will boast of Xtraordinary players of impeccable class and history.
“The tournament has inspired a renewed passion among these greats to show the world what they have missed. The tournament is based on four pillars-Xtraordinary Players, Xtraordinary Fans, Xtraordinary Rivalry and Xtraordinary Entertainment
“It will be a first of its kind league in the UAE, a country which is rapidly beginning to make its impact on the international cricket scene. MCL is aiming to spread the spirit of cricket in the country. It will, we are certain, inspire a new generation of cricketers to represent the UAE.”
Virender Sehwag, one of the icons of the MCL, added: “It’s so exciting. It will be great to renew the rivalries. It’s good to have all of us playing this tournament. The facilities in the UAE have always been world class. I think it’s great for cricket to show what we can offer to develop the sport at the grassroot.”
The MCL has been approved for an initial 10 year period by the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB), while the organiser and rights owner of the tournament, GM Sports, is also closely following the established guidelines set out by game’s governing body, the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Further information about the MCL – the tournament structure, franchises, player auction, and ticket sales – will all be uploaded to the tournament’s official website when it becomes available. The official MCL website can be found at: www.mcl2020.com.
Fans and other followers can also keep up with the tournament via MCL’s official social media channels:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MCL2020UAE
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mcl2020uae
Instagram: https://instagram.com/mcl2020UAE/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/mcl2020
