Franchise process for US T-20 league to start this month

promoters of the first professional US Twenty20 league will begin the tender process for the six inaugural franchises later this month. The league - staged by Cricket Holdings America, a joint venture headed by the USA Cricket Association and New Zealand Cricket - is likely to be held in June and July 2013 with reports suggesting the matches will be played in New York and San Francisco.

USA T-20 League threat to England County Cricket

England's traditional cricketing summer, already under siege from the expanding ambitions of IPL, must face up to another unwelcome challenge next week when meetings take place in London to promote a United States Twenty20 league planned to launch next July with a host of international stars.

The league will be launched in direct competition to the English season with ambitions to attract many of the world's top stars for what Neil Maxwell, one of the main proponents, is presenting to the States as "baseball on steroids."

Gayle, Afridi, Sangakkara keen to play in USA

Cricket in the USA is set for a major shakeup with the confirmation of a domestic Twenty20 tournament along the lines of the IPL and its Australian, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan versions, tentatively scheduled for June 2013 and likely to be played in New York and San Francisco.
The league has six teams and will kick off in June 2013 with a total of 19 matches to be played until mid-July. A number of high-profile current and former cricketers - Brett Lee, Shane Watson, David Warner, Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard, Shahid Afridi, Kumar Sangakkara - to name the few, have shown keen interest to participate in the league. Additionally, cricketers from New Zealand, West Indies, South Africa and Australia are expected to be a part of this sporting extravaganza. "I would love nothing more than to play in front of a packed house in New York. My bags are packed," said Lee.