MLC wants more cricketers for England but does not want to “start a war with anyone.”

The Major League Cricket (MLC) organizers claim there is “no animosity” between the league and the ECB, and they are expecting that the top white-ball players in England would sign up for the league’s second season in 2024.

The MLC’s first season, which runs from July 13 to July 30, features highly competitive player wages, with top international players earning US$ 175,000 (about £135,000) to play a minimum of five games.

Through their representatives, several England internationals discussed joining the MLC, but only Jason Roy is still active and scheduled to play this year. The league runs concurrently with two rounds of County Championship matches, the final two Ashes Tests, and the T20 Blast (except on Finals Day).

Roy requested a release from his incremental contract to accept a deal with Los Angeles Knight Riders, an affiliate of his IPL side Kolkata Knight Riders after the ECB informed centrally contracted players that they would not be awarded no-objection certificates (NOCs) to play.

The tournament director for the MLC, Justin Geale, told  that “we probably would like a couple more of the [England] guys.” But there are enough participants for everyone, and we have no intention of starting a conflict with anyone.

For the red-ball, centrally contracted players, it would be a difficult ask, but I believe that some of the white-ball players could come over for sure. It’s not a large competition. English players have shown a great deal of interest in us, and we’ve had some good interactions with them.

In the end, everything comes down to what’s best for the players. Boards are typically fine with it if they can supplement their wages while playing excellent cricket that is relevant to their careers. I couldn’t speak for the ECB, but I don’t believe there is any hostility or anything along the lines of “we won’t be releasing players, leave us alone” between us.

In addition, England does not have any white-ball internationals scheduled between the conclusion of the men’s T20 World Cup in June and their home series against Australia in September. Moeen Ali announced last month that he had an offer to play in the MLC in 2024, which is believed to be from Texas Super Kings.

As the third season of the ECB’s 100-ball competition, the Hundred, approaches, the MLC’s inception has already had a significant impact on it. Even though the leagues do not overlap—the Hundred begins on August 1, two days after the MLC final—several international players withdrew from the Hundred draft after agreeing to play in the USA.

There is genuine interest in visiting, and the US is a good destination to tour; visitors may bring their families or their golf clubs and stay for a while, so we haven’t had any problems there. There are some extremely star-studded line-ups, and player interest has been excellent.

The caliber of foreign players in the MLC is undoubtedly higher due to higher earnings and the attraction of IPL-affiliated clubs, and with the MLC likely to grow next year, the Hundred is certainly in danger. Geale rebutted this, saying, “We’re not here to compete with anyone.”

Players are eager to visit and take a look, he continued. There is genuine interest in visiting, and the US is a good destination to tour; visitors may bring their families or their golf clubs and stay for a while, so we haven’t had any problems there. There are some extremely star-studded line-ups, and player interest has been excellent.

The caliber of foreign players in the MLC is undoubtedly higher due to higher earnings and the attraction of IPL-affiliated clubs, and with the MLC likely to grow next year, the Hundred is certainly in danger. Geale rebutted this, saying, “We’re not here to compete with anyone.”

Players are eager to visit and take a look, he continued. There is genuine interest in visiting, and the US is a good destination to tour; visitors may bring their families or their golf clubs and stay for a while, so we haven’t had any problems there. There are some extremely star-studded line-ups, and player interest has been excellent.

According to Geale, “English countries have shown a lot of interest in learning more about the USA. They are interested in Victoria, New South Wales, and their collaborations. A positive conversation has been had.

We would adore hosting some preseason events here. There may be opportunities for teams to come out and play some matches in the USA — and to commercialize as well — because the weather is such that you can play there and there are opportunities for teams to come out and play.