Chicago and Atlanta could be the next franchises in Major League Cricket

Chicago and Atlanta have been put forward as possible expansion locations for ever-expanding Major League Cricket, with a move to Canada also being touted.

The six-team MLC made a historic debut last season as cricket continued its determined march into the US

Texas, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington DC, Seattle and New York are the first franchises: strategic locations with strong South Asian communities.

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There is no specific timeline for expansion, but MLC hopes to rival the money-grubbing Indian Premier League, the biggest cricket league with 10 teams that started with eight after its launch in 2008.

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“We're in no rush to expand, but in the longer term… this is a 10-team league, both geographically and market-wise,” MLC chief executive Vijay Srinivasan told me ahead of the second season starting in July. 5.

“I think we're happy where we are right now with six teams and in a few seasons you'll see the next level of expansion.”

Chicago and Atlanta, major American cities with a significant South Asian footprint, battled to be among the first teams, but Seattle in the Pacific Northwest won. Seattle is the only small market franchise in MLC but has ties with IPL franchise Delhi Capitals.

“Atlanta and Chicago… there are very, very strong communities in those markets that are very passionate about cricket, so those would be very logical markets for us to look at,” Srinivasan said.

“I think there is a list of about four or five cities that are currently being considered.”

A move across the border could also be on the cards, although this could be complicated as Canada has its own fledgling T20 league.

“Vancouver and Toronto have a history of American sports. Do I expect Vancouver and Toronto (as part of an expansion)? Absolutely,” Soma Somasegar, co-owner of Seattle Orcas, told me.

“Locations with potential for expansion will have a cricket-loving diaspora in larger cities. Houston is also a location that I think would probably have a team.”

Somasegar believed that expansion would require a greater depth of American talent.

As I recently reported, teams will get six foreign players per starting XI in the coming season, which is more than the quota of four accepted in established leagues. It is believed that MLC will want to comply with International Cricket Council regulations in the coming seasons.

“We need to build a larger cadre of domestic players,” Somasegar said. “We need to figure out how to continue to cultivate and nurture existing domestic players, and how to really broaden the footprint for domestic players.”

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The ultimate vision is for more teams, more matches and a season lasting around six weeks from early June to mid-July, avoiding clashes with the Hundred competition in Britain.

MLC officials and owners want a home-and-away season — in which the teams play each other twice — to support competition, but that likely won't happen unless all franchises have a home base.

Like last year, the entire tournament will be played in Dallas and Morrisville, North Carolina. There had been hopes that the $30 modular stadium in New York, built for the ongoing T20 World Cup, could host matches in the MLC, but that was not possible.

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“We were very optimistic that we could use the infrastructure, but several logistical reasons proved too difficult,” Srinivasan said. “Obviously it's a little disappointing. We would have loved to bring MLC to the New York area, where a team exists, and it would have been a really great way to kick-start all of that.”

The 34,000-seat stadium at Eisenhower Park on Long Island is already being demolished as the US leg of the T20 World Cup concludes. As I previously reported, discussions will continue after the tournament regarding the use of the facility by third parties.

“If it's available next year and it's a viable location, we would absolutely explore it,” Srinivasan said.

The brilliance of the New York spectacle, highlighted by the sold-out blockbuster India-Pakistan, coupled with the electrifying performances from the American underdog, is expected to bring momentum to a crucial second season of MLC.

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“What the World Cup does brings a lot of attention to this sport. I think we can ride the momentum,” Srinivasan said.

“The World Cup will come and go. But we are here to stay.”