Major League Cricket (MLC) want to sign up England’s best players for future editions but its founders have dismissed claims it is a threat to English cricket as “short-sighted”.
The inaugural T20 franchise tournament in the United States starts on Thursday (Friday 01:30 BST) with two England World Cup winners – Liam Plunkett and Jason Roy – involved.
“American sports fans want to see the best in the world. That’s the demand in US professional sports,” MLC co-founder Vijay Srinivasan told BBC Sport.
“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.”
England opener Roy decided to cancel his incremental white-ball deal with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) – worth £60,000-£70,000 – to play in…
