The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have reportedly joined forces to resist the development of a new Saudi-funded T20 league. According to The Guardian, both boards reached this consensus during discussions held at the World Test Championship final at Lord’s earlier this month. The proposed league, with a projected investment of USD 400 million from Saudi Arabia’s SRJ Sports Investments, aims to introduce a global T20 competition with eight franchises rotating across four venues annually. In a bid to safeguard their own commercial products — the Indian Premier League (IPL) and The Hundred — the BCCI and ECB are said to have denied support for the Saudi venture. The boards have reportedly agreed not to issue No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to their players and intend to lobby the International Cricket Council (ICC) against endorsing the league. Read also: India vs Australia 2025 Tickets Sold Out in Record Time CA Shows Interest; ICC’s Position Tied to BCCI In contrast, The Guardian notes that Cricket Australia (CA) has shown interest in the Saudi-backed project. With the Big Bash League (BBL) franchises under CA and state control, the board views this as a lucrative opportunity to benefit from private investment without direct conflict with existing domestic leagues. The model reportedly mimics tennis Grand Slams, with four tournaments annually across various global venues. The scale of the project, however, has raised concerns about its impact on established leagues. For the BCCI, the IPL is a USD 12 billion enterprise. The ECB, on the other hand, is nearing a GBP 520 million (USD 700 million) windfall by selling 49% equity in The Hundred's franchises. The South African board also cashed in earlier by selling SA20 team rights to IPL franchise owners, generating over GBP 100 million (USD 136 million). Despite the ambition surrounding the Saudi proposal, its future remains uncertain. The ICC, currently chaired by Jay Shah — a former BCCI secretary — is, as per the report, unlikely to support any move that opposes Indian cricket’s stance.