According to a report from ESPNCricinfo, the latest development is that Lancashire are looking to partner with an IPL franchise to run Manchester Originals as a joint venture from the 2025 edition. The franchise stake will be available for sale from next month and the ECB will share the prospectus shortly.
Lancashire have met various stakeholders for the same purpose over the past few months. They have good connections in India as they often send men’s and women’s teams on tour. They have also been linked with Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru and have brought in players like Shreyas Iyer, Washington Sundar and Venkatesh Iyer as overseas players.
As part of the sale of The Hundred, Lancashire will receive a 51% stake in Manchester Originals from the ECB, as they own Emirates Old Trafford. However, they do not want to take over 100% of the stake. They have stated that they want a “sports partner”.
Lancashire chief executive Daniel Gidney has said he would be keen to see an IPL franchise partner with them. He believes it will help them grow cricket and said their path is strong, he said in a statement. Speaking to ESPNCricinfo, he explained:
“Our preferred partner is one who can work with us in cricket and help us grow cricket. And we have a huge interest in India. Of course, we would like to work with an IPL team because it will bring opportunities for both us and them… Our pathways are the best in the country and so are the medical teams.”
Daniel Gidney elaborated on this process, adding:
“As I’ve said to others in the area, the first round is run by the ECB so they have to put up numbers. If you want to have pride and pay a lot of money, London is the place to be.
“There are a lot of people who want London, but it narrows down the choice because there are only two teams and one of them only wants passive investors. Beyond that, I tell people, ‘If you want cheap, we’re not for you. If you want the best, we’re not for you. valueWe are it.”
Lancashire are also understood to have held meetings with executives at Lucknow Super Giants. London-based franchises London Spirit (Lord’s) and Oval Invincibles (The Oval) are expected to be the most valuable, followed by Manchester Originals and Birmingham Phoenix (Edgbaston).
There were also reports that the owner of UAE’s ILT20-based Desert Vipers and co-owner of Manchester United had expressed interest in acquiring a large stake in Hundred.
Daniel Gidney shares his thoughts on how the Hundred can succeed.
Daniel Gidney also talked about how the Hundred can succeed. He suggested that for the league to succeed, the players’ salaries should be higher than they are now. He said the league should attract the best talent. He explained:
“The key to success for the Hundred going forward is to increase player salaries to attract the best talent. There is no scenario where (Shaheen Shah) Afridi plays for us in Canada. That is nonsense.
“There are probably 30 or 40 players playing for Hundred right now, but I don’t think there’s a need for that,” he concluded.
