World Club Championship cricket tournament 'on the cards'

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is in the early stages of considering a new global T20 cricket competition, the World Club Championship.

The tournament is essentially a modern revival of the long-defunct Champions League T20 (CLT20), which last took place over a decade ago.

The tournament was played between qualifying domestic teams from some major cricketing nations.

The ECB’s latest move comes as franchise-based T20 cricket leagues have exploded in recent years, with new tournaments launched in England (The Hundred), South Africa (SA20), the UAE (ILT20), and the US (MLC).

The idea of international club competitions is also gaining traction across other sports as football’s expanded 32-team FIFA Club World Cup kicks off next week, and rugby union is set to introduce its own version in 2028.

In an interview with a sports outlet, ECB chief executive Richard Gould said that the World Club Championship could offer meaningful structure and prestige to the rapidly growing world of franchise cricket.

“That is on the cards. Without doubt, at some point, there will be a World Club Championship – for both men and women. That’s the next logical step,” he said.

It is worth noting here that the CLT20 ran from 2009-14 for six seasons before it was discontinued.

At the time, the organisers said that the decision was made due to the tournament’s “limited public following”.

According to the ECB chief, the tournament did not succeed as it was “ahead of its time”.

“Commercially, it couldn’t keep up with the expectations on it, but it was a really good event,” Gould said.