Saudi Arabia is set to shake up cricket with the richest T20 league in the world

The Saudi Arabian government has reportedly held talks with the owners of the Indian Premier League over a plan that could change the format forever.

Not content with its sporting footprint through the Saudi Formula 1 Grand Prix and investments in LIV Golf, the Gulf state wants cricket as its next project for the world’s richest Twenty20 tournament.

Currently, under the rules set by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Indian players are banned from participating in overseas T20 competitions, but a proposal by representatives of the Saudi Arabian government may lead to a relaxation of the rule.

According to a report in The Age, discussions behind the plan began more than a year ago and all proposed leagues must be approved by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and approved by member nations.

ICC President Greg Barclay confirmed Saudi Arabia’s investment interests in cricket.

“If you look at the other sports they’ve been involved in, cricket is something that I think is attractive to them,” he said.

– Given their progress in sport more generally, cricket would do quite well in Saudi Arabia.

“They are quite keen to invest in sports and given their regional presence, cricket would seem a fairly obvious pursuit.”

The potential for a game-changing competition is all part of strengthening ties between India and Saudi Arabia as Saudi Arabia hopes to be India’s number one tourist destination by 2030.

Currently, the United Arab Emirates is the primary venue for cricket matches in the West Asian region, but Saudi Arabia hopes to be a “global cricket destination”, according to Saudi Arabia Cricket Federation president Prince Saud bin Mishal Al-Saud.

The UAE already has its own short-form competition when the ILT20 was launched last year, featuring a number of foreign players due to the country’s weak domestic system. (NINE.COM.AU)