“And already we are getting great feedback that we can have terrific player availability from world-class players around the world. So really looking forward to that.”
Beyond scheduling, the league is also sharpening its regional identity and development focus. ILT20 is positioning itself not just as a UAE tournament, but as a broader Gulf platform.
“We will continue to build on the success of last year of the involvement with the Kuwait players and the Saudi players. That is really gaining momentum as we see ourselves not just as a UAE league but also a league representing the GCC region,” said the former New Zealand Cricket cricketer and executive.
Player development, particularly for Associate nations, remains central to the league’s structure.
“We pride ourselves on the fact that we make it compulsory for an Associate member to be part of the Playing XI. That is really well received and is a big part of the development programme for Associates as well.”
With preparations underway, the focus now shifts to squad building and commercial alignment.
“Planning is going really well. We are working incredibly hard in terms of work with our commercial partners and our teams.”
“And within the next 4-6 weeks I think we will have our first wave of announcement of player retentions.”