Australia look at new Twenty20 tournament

Australia could introduce a tournament similar to the Indian Premier League in two years after Cricket Australia revealed it has started planning for another domestic Twenty20 event.

The IPL has forced other countries to consider their options, with England already involved in talks with the billionaire Allen Stanford.

Paul Marsh, the Australian Cricketers’ Association chief executive, has pushed for an international league system like the one used in soccer and Peter Young, a Cricket Australia spokesman, said the organisation was looking at the possibilities.

“In reality we have taken a blank sheet of paper and said: ‘What might a domestic Twenty20 competition look like?’”

Young told the Herald Sun.

“Should it be just one side from each state? Should we look at overseas models, including the IPL model, where you have a city base and more than one team from certain states? Should it involve New Zealand or not? We are thinking that through.”

While the ideas are speculative, the paper reported a salary cap, icon players for each team and a draft for the international talent could be employed.

Similar moves have helped make the IPL a major success in India over the first half of the competition. A domestic Twenty20 tournament has been held in Australia for the past three years but has only involved state players, limiting its potential for international exposure and television revenue.