Viral European Cricket League Faces Uncertain Future

The organisers of a bid of European cricket leagues and tournaments are facing a awesome financial obstacle that has formed superior uncertainty complete its future.

Since 2019 nan European Cricket Network (ECN) has arranged events crossed nan continent, unrecorded streaming them connected nan internet.

To date, it has organised much than 7,200 matches, astir each of which person been played utilizing nan T10 format, successful 55 European cities, towns and villages successful 26 different countries.

During that clip astir 800 different teams and much than 10,500 individual players person played successful matches nether nan auspices of nan ECN, which is formally sanctioned by nan International Cricket Council.

Clips from matches organised by ECN person showcased nan best, and worst, of European cricket and a number of them person gone viral connected societal media.

Romania world Pavel Florin, who useful arsenic a bodyguard, shot to cricketing fame successful an early tourney for his unorthodox bowling style.

However, a alteration successful Indian rule is group to person a awesome effect connected ECN which is heavy reliant connected financial backing from a business pinch Dream11, India's biggest fantasy sports platform.

On Thursday, India's parliament passed nan Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill 2025 which will prohibition online games played pinch money.

Dream11 is poised to propulsion nan plug connected its engagement pinch nan ECN erstwhile nan measure is signed disconnected by India president Droupadi Murmu. This is expected to beryllium wrong nan adjacent month.

Australian Daniel Weston, who founded nan ECN, told BBC Sport it was a "devastating" rustle and cricket successful Europe "risks being pushed backmost 20 years" and "may ne'er regain that momentum".

"Fantasy sports person provided unmatched financial support to thief turn cricket, particularly successful Associate nations, creating opportunities for some men and women," he said.

"Our imagination was to make cricket nan number 1 bat-and-ball squad athletics successful Europe. Now, those hopes consciousness shattered.

"It is simply a very sad infinitesimal for cricketers, cricket fans, and nan children of cricketers each complete nan world, who will now apt not turn up successful a world that is processing cricket extracurricular of nan large three."

ECN remains optimistic it tin pivot its business strategy and hopeful it will spot retired nan events scheduled for nan remainder of 2025 arsenic planned.

But unless a awesome sponsorship partner is brought connected committee quickly it faces nan reality of scaling backmost its operations drastically.

Dream11 has been approached for comment.

The various tournaments and leagues tally by ECN are powerfully associated pinch viral clips of comical run-outs, unthinkable catches, outrageous hitting and different bowling actions specified arsenic Florin's.

But location has been a superior underlying improvement facet to nan cricket organised by nan ECN which has stimulated liking successful European cricket crossed nan globe.

The ECN has besides been a captious root of income for cricket boards - pinch a mini hosting fee, believed to beryllium astir 10,000 euros (£8,500), paid to shape tournaments.

Similarly, events person brought nationalist cricket boards successful Europe person together, fixed greater visibility and incentivised players astatine section level.

In summation to its main home nine tourney - won earlier this twelvemonth by a nine broadside from Jersey - it has provided opportunities for nationalist teams extracurricular of ICC events.

Cricket Ireland and nan Royal Dutch Cricket Association person sent typical teams to nan main ECN world tournament.

An England XI, made up of players selected from nan National Counties, has taken portion pinch nan blessing of nan England and Wales Cricket Board, and won nan 2023 tournament.

Weston, a erstwhile hedge money head who played world cricket for Germany, pulled successful elder executives who antecedently worked for Uefa and Fifa to thief make ECN financially viable from nan outset,

Without Dream11's backing, and imagination cricket, it now faces a immense situation to support nan show connected nan road.