MLC tournament overcomes obstacles

With the USA Cricket Association (USACA) and the US Council of League Presidents (CLP) engaged in working out their legal disputes, Major League Cricket (MLC) has moved ahead with its planning for its US Interstate Cricket Tournament in Florida in November. It is proceeding on a fast track, and what seemed like an over-ambitious and unlikely possibility is emerging as one of the most comprehensive national tournaments to be staged on US soil.

It is also the first US tournament that has drawn support from outside the country in a big way. Simon Dyke, cricket administrator for the English county Sussex, has formally accepted the responsibility of managing the event. Also, two international English County Championship umpires have confirmed participation in the tournament.

Toronto, representing Ontario Province and one of the strongest teams in Canada, is expected to play, and could be joined by other Canadian provinces as well as an ICC Associate or Affiliate Member team. And a team of first-class county cricketers, either a county team or an assortment of players from several counties, is expected to play on the last day against a select USA XI drawn from the best US performers in the proceedings. This final match, billed as a memorial to the evacuees from Hurricane Katrina, will also serve as a showcase for MLC's proposed squads of USA senior and Under-25 players who are to be placed under two-year intensive programs under the probable tutelage of Desmond Haynes. This is MLC's plan for the development of high-calibre US teams capable of competing internationally by 2007--the year that the World Cup makes its appearance in the New World.

Given the state of US cricket at the present time, trying to organize a tournament on such an ambitious scale would have seemed impossible even a few months ago. What infrastructure might have existed to support such a massive effort had fallen apart, first from neglect by USACA and then by the internecine disputes that have plagued US cricket in the last few years. The national tournaments that have been attempted so far have been inter-regional events based on a model that, ironically, had been suggested by MLC three years ago -- involving four teams at each of two venues, and then a four-team final. MLC's Interstate Championship, however, involves no less than 16 teams -- or, four times the scale of any national tournament event staged in the USA. No wonder skeptics had scoffed at MLC's plans. Few people thought that so many US state teams could ever be gathered at one time and place, especially if they were not being paid to do so.

There were other major hurdles that MLC had to overcome. From the beginning, MLC was subjected to a barrage of invective from supporters of USACA and CLP who thought MLC was trying to "take over" US cricket. Every possible reason was trotted out by these opponents, from thinly-veiled aspersions on Cameron's character as the CEO of MLC, to questions about the capabilities about MLC's professional staff. Every announcement by MLC was greeted with hoots of derision and plain disbelief. There were rumours that people had tried to dissuade teams from participating in the tournament, and documented evidence that at least one board member of a major USA cricket league had been "excommunicated" for not toeing the party line of tacit opposition to MLC's tournament plans. There were even sly attempts to catch MLC on the wrong foot by having them apply to ICC for official status as the USA representative, hoping that a turn-down would be damaging to MLC and would boost the chances of CLP and USACA for eventual re-admission to the world cricket order.

Through it all, MLC maintained a stoic silence, ignoring the slurs and abuse and proceeding on the deliberate course it had set for itself several months ago and letting others parry the attacks if they chose. These defenders were denounced as MLC stooges, or (more kindly) called deluded victims of MLC's rhetoric. As the details of the tournament began to emerge, the attacks grew more querulous and almost ceased.

As of today, it would appear that MLC has weathered its storms and squalls and is navigating calmer waters. The tournament is on course, more and more US cricketers are lining up to participate.

Things could still go wrong, of course. There could be another hurricane, or a massive crisis in the logistics of the tournament. Since nothing on this scale has ever been attempted in US cricket, there could be unexpected glitches and unforeseen contingencies. But the tournament is indeed on, its participants are willing and eager, and everyone seems determined to put on the best show they possibly can. No more can be expected -- or hoped for -- right now.