Saudi Arabia are set to continue their heavy investment in sport, having launched the controversial LIV Golf tour, purchased Premier League side Newcastle and added a Saudi Arabian Grand Prix to the F1 calendar.
Now the gulf state is planning to start the world's most lucrative T20 cricket tournament in a move which has the potential to impact the sport in a major way. The rise of T20 leagues all around the world have had a huge effect on the international game, with players able to earn fortunes solely playing franchise cricket.
England are incredibly concerned about the threat of T20 leagues, with ECB chief executive Richard Gould stating earlier this month they plan to increase players' match fees and offer them multi-year central contracts in a bid to ensure they do not lose their biggest stars to the franchise circuit.
"This is an existential issue for us," Gould admitted. "We cannot afford not to have our best players available when we really need them. Otherwise our values will drop."
However, the prospect of a Saudi Arabian backed tournament will spark more concern, with a report from The Age stating that informal discussions began over a year ago. Immediate parallels can be drawn to LIV, which has tempted some of golf's best players to turn their back on the PGA Tour in favour of multimillion pound deals with the breakaway tour.
IPL franchise owners are said to be involved, with Saudi Arabia keen to have Indian players involved in the tournament after the country outlined plans to become the number one tourist destination for Indians by 2030. Currently, the BCCI prevent Indian players from competing in rival T20 leagues.
ICC chief Greg Barclay described cricket as a "logical" next sporting investment for Saudi Arabia, stating: "If you look at other sports they've been involved in, cricket is something I imagine would be attractive to them.
"Given their advance into sport more generally, cricket would work quite well for Saudi Arabia. They're pretty keen to invest in sport, and given their regional presence, cricket would seem a pretty obvious one to pursue."
And Prince Saud bin Mishal Al-Saud, the chairman of the Saudi Arabian Cricket Federation, revealed the country wants to become a "global cricketing destination". He told Arab News in March: "Our aim is to create a sustainable industry for locals and expats living in the Kingdom and make Saudi Arabia a global cricketing destination."
