- The Hundred and the MLC will clash for the first time.
- The MLC is set to begin on July 4 and finish by early August.
- In its inaugural season, MLC paid its top earners around US$175,000.
The clash between The Hundred and Major League Cricket (MLC) is set to happen for the first time in 2024, with both leagues vying for the world’s top men’s players in late July. This narrowly avoided an overlap with schedules from the previous year.
MLC, backed by Indian and American investors, declared that its second season will kick off on July 4 and conclude “by early August,” while The Hundred’s fixture list was recently announced by the ECB, with The Oval hosting the opening matches on July 23.
In 2024, The Hundred will also compete in an England men’s international match, as the third Test against the West Indies starts on July 26. This will impact players’ availability for at least the first week of The Hundred. Fortunately, there won’t be a scheduling clash for England’s women, as they finish a T20I series against New Zealand on July 17.
There is an expectation that The Hundred won’t overlap with the Caribbean Premier League in 2024. The men’s and women’s finals are scheduled for August 18 at Lord’s, and while CPL dates are yet to be finalized, it’s anticipated to commence in the final week of August.
The clash with MLC poses a significant challenge in terms of player availability. In the inaugural MLC season, 19 players, including Tim David, Heinrich Klaasen, and Sunil Narine, participated in both leagues, emphasizing the reliance on a shared player pool.
The ECB has expressed concern about the launch of a new lucrative franchise league during the northern hemisphere summer. Centrally-contracted players were informed that they wouldn’t receive No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) for MLC. Jason Roy was the sole Englishman to feature last summer and is expected to return for at least part of the 2024 season with LA Knight Riders.
The ICC implemented a global limit of four overseas players per team in franchise leagues last year, a limit that MLC currently exceeds. However, this cap only applies to new leagues. Richard Thompson, the ECB’s chair, recently commented on leagues that are “basically international tournaments masquerading as domestic competitions,” specifically referencing MLC.
In its inaugural season, MLC paid its top earners around US$175,000 (£137,500) to play a minimum of five games. In comparison, the highest men’s salary in The Hundred is £125,000 (US$159,000) for a minimum of eight games. Men’s Hundred salaries remain unchanged for the 2024 season, and there are discussions about potentially opening the tournament to private investors from 2025.
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