BT Sport – who will become TNT Sports next week – strike last-minute broadcast deal with Major League Cricket for American T20 franchise’s first season ahead of the start of tournament on Friday
- Jason Roy and Liam Plunkett are the only English players involved this season
- Mitchell Marsh was due to take part before backing out to be part of the Ashes
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BT Sport have struck a late deal with Major League Cricket to broadcast the inaugural season of the new American T20 tournament.
MLC gets underway in the early hours of Friday morning, with Jason Roy’s Los Angeles Knight Riders taking on the Texas Super Kings in the opening match at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas, Texas.
BT Sport – which will be renamed TNT Sports next week – will show all 19 matches using the feed and international commentary team from host broadcaster Willow TV, although only one game starts before 9.30pm English time.
MLC has been seen as a major threat to cricket in this country given it runs in the middle of the English summer. As first revealed by Mail Sport, England batsman Roy terminated his £60,000-a-year ECB incremental contract to take up a £300,000, two-year deal with the LA team.
Roy and fellow 2019 World Cup winner Liam Plunkett, who now lives in the States with his American wife Emeleah, are the only two English players involved in the first season of the franchise competition.
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Jason Roy will be part of the LA Knight Riders side to get the competition up and running on Friday
Fellow World Cup winner Liam Plunkett is the only other Englishman in the competition
Ashes centurion Michell Marsh was do to take part but backed out to represent Australia
However, MLC have their sights set on signing the country’s best players for future editions, which could cause more problems for the England team, as well as the Hundred, which is held in August.
‘American sports fans want to see the best in the world,’ said MLC co-founder Vijay Srinivasan. ‘They don’t want second-tier talent. They insist on the best. England is fortunate to have some of those with the likes of Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow and Harry Brook.’
Some of the high-profile overseas players in action in the States include Aaron Finch, Marcus Stoinis, Anrich Nortje, Quinton de Kock, Kagiso Rabada, Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson, Shadab Khan and Rashid Khan.
Australia’s Headingley centurion Mitchell Marsh had been due to play for Seattle Orcas but pulled out because of his involvement in the Ashes.
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