According to the latest reports from ESPNCricinfo, it has been learnt that Lancashire want to partner with an IPL franchise and run Manchester Originals as a joint venture from the 2025 edition of the Hundred. The franchise shares will go on sale from next month and the ECB will soon share the prospectuses.
Lancashire have met with several interested parties on this issue over the past few months. They have an excellent relationship in India as they often send their men’s and women’s teams on tour. They also have links with Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru and have also signed overseas players such as Shreyas Iyer, Washington Sundar and Venkatesh Iyer.
As part of the sale process for The Hundred, the ECB will gift Lancashire a 51% stake in Manchester Originals. This is because they are the owners of Emirates Old Trafford. But they are not interested in acquiring 100% of the stake. They have mentioned that they want a “sporting partner”.
Lancashire chief executive Daniel Gidney has expressed interest in the IPL franchise partnering with them. He believes it will help them grow their cricket and said their path is solid. Speaking to ESPNCricinfo, he explained:
“Our preference is for a partner who works with us in cricket, who can help us grow our cricket, and we have a huge interest in India. We would love to work with an IPL team, of course, because of the opportunities it would bring, both for us and for them… our track record is the best in the country, and so is our medical staff.”
Daniel Gidney continued to talk about the process, adding:
“As I’ve told various people from that part of the world, the first round is being organised by the ECB, so you have to give it your best shot. If you want to have an ego and pay a lot of money, London is your destination.
“There will be a lot of people who want London, but there are only two teams and one of them only wants a passive investor, so that narrows down the options. Apart from that, I told people: ‘If you want cheap, we’re not what you’re looking for. If you want the best, we’re not what you’re looking for.'” worthwe are that.”
Lancashire are also known to have met officials from Lucknow Super Giants. London-based franchises London Spirit (Lord’s) and Oval Invincibles (The Oval) are expected to command the most value, followed by Manchester Originals and Birmingham Phoenix (Edgbaston).
There have also been reports claiming that the Manchester United co-owner, who owns Desert Vipers in the UAE’s ILT20, has also expressed a desire to buy the large stake in the Hundred.
Daniel Gidney shares his thoughts on how Hundred can succeed
Daniel Gidney also spoke about how the Hundred can be successful. He suggested that for the league to be successful, player salaries should be higher than they are at present. He said that the league should attract top talent. He explained:
“The key to the success of the Hundred in the future is that player salaries need to increase, on both the men’s and women’s side, to attract the best talent. You can’t have a scenario where [Shaheen Shah] Afridi has chosen to play in Canada instead of with us. That’s nonsense.
“I think there are probably 30 to 40 players currently involved in the Hundred, but I don’t think they should be,” he concluded.
