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Representatives of the government of Saudi Arabia have held talks with Indian Premier League (IPL) owners about plans to set up the world’s "richest Twenty20 tournament" in the kingdom, according to media reports.
Informal discussions have been going on for more than a year, The Age reported. Saudi Arabia's interest was confirmed by International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman Greg Barclay in the report.
"If you look at other sports they've been involved in, cricket is something I imagine would be attractive to them," he said. "Given their advance into sport more generally, cricket would work quite well for Saudi Arabia.
"They're pretty keen to invest in sport, and given their regional presence, cricket would seem a pretty obvious one to pursue."
The planning is reportedly still in its early stages and the league can only begin once it gets approval from the ICC.
The Indian IPL Twenty 20 tournament, currently in its 16th season, is one of the among the richest and the most viewed sporting events in the world.
Saudi Arabia had also set up a professional golf tournament, LIV Golf, in 2021 backed by its sovereign wealth fund, Public Investment Fund.
(Writing by Brinda Darasha; editing by Seban Scaria)
