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Here’s today’s lineup

• 💡 Knowledge Drop

• 🕶️ Business of Cricket

• 🍪 Favorite Finds of Week

So, let's get right into it then. Leg Stump Please!🪖

THE KNOWLEDGE DROP

Research Findings on Injury Causes for Men & Women Cricketers

🔬The research work conducted by the University of Bath in England on injury profiles of a novel format cricket competition (‘The Hundred’) and compared injury incidence and prevalence between the men’s and women’s competitions.

📋Data was collected from the first three ‘The Hundred’ competitions: 2021 (21 July–22 August), 2022 (3 August–3 September) and 2023 (1 August–27 August). All registered men’s and women’s players from eight franchises were included in the study.

📈In the men’s competition, 164 injuries were recorded, compared with 127 in the women’s competition. Match fielding was the most common activity at injury in both competitions. The thigh and hand were the most common body location time-loss injury in the men’s and women’s competitions, respectively.

🩹Preventative strategies targeting thigh injuries in the men’s competition and hand injuries in the women’s competition would be beneficial. Compared with published injury rates, ‘The Hundred’ men’s presents a greater risk of injury than Twenty20 (T20), but similar to one-day cricket, with ‘The Hundred’ women’s presenting a similar injury risk to T20 and one-day cricket.

Full Research can be accessed here

BUSINESS OF CRICKET

The Hundred Buyout

Unwilling to jeopardize its cordial relationship with the all-powerful BCCI, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has rejected a lucrative 10-year buy-out offer of their franchise-based property 'The Hundred' from former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi. Big reasons being ECB did not want to jeopardize their relationship with BCCI.

How do Cricket leagues make money ?

Across most major sports league in the world, a significant majority of money – often 80 per cent – comes from broadcasting rights worldwide. While Premier League football now makes more from its overseas than domestic broadcasting rights, it is an outlier. Other sports leagues, including T20 leagues and the Hundred, make a significant majority of their broadcasting income from domestic rights. It is thought that less than five per cent of the Hundred’s revenue comes from overseas TV rights. While leagues have sought to maximise their commercial appeal in India, the Indian board’s ban on any players playing in overseas short-format competitions means that such attempts have floundered.

Why is Hundred worth so much ?

Lalit Modi’s proposal of $1 billion (£800 million) for the Hundred reflects what some insiders think that the competition could be worth. The tournament currently generates £50 million a year in broadcasting revenue, with hopes that this could grow in the years to come. Multi-national branding, with teams being affiliated to Indian Premier League franchises, is seen as one way in which the league could grow overseas – although the evidence of T20 leagues in South Africa and the UAE, which have been bought by IPL owners, is mixed.

IPL owners have already shown their relish for investing in foreign leagues, buying teams in the Caribbean Premier League, the SA20 in South Africa and the UAE’s International League T20. The multi-team model – similar to that of City Football Group, who own Man City and a stable of other clubs – is attractive because it provides a way for IPL teams to keep their brands active for more of the year, with the IPL itself only two months long. Owning foreign teams also helps with scouting players and developing coaches: for instance, Kieron Pollard, who is now Mumbai Indians’ batting coach, continues to play for the Mumbai franchise in other T20 leagues.

Why are Indian businessmen keen to invest in the Hundred?

Owning teams in England is viewed as particularly attractive. England is the second-biggest market for the game. While the global calendar has become far more crowded, the English summer remains markedly less packed than the English winter, increasing the Hundred’s chances of attracting eyeballs worldwide and signing leading overseas players. The history of the grounds – especially Lord’s – holds obvious appeal to potential owners, some of whom have major business interests in England. The prospects of generating corporate income on matchdays at English grounds are also far stronger than in poorer economies, like in South Africa and West Indies. Indian owners would also hope to persuade the Indian board to allow Indian players to feature in the Hundred eventually.

Did we miss out on anything ? Let us know know

FOR THE ROMANTIC

ICC mucks it up yet again 🙂 

I am sure every cricket fan in America must have been bummed about not getting a ticket in the lottery for India Pakistan game.But not getting one for Ireland vs USA game is baffling. Close to being shady.

Did you experience the same?

SUPER OVER

Six of our favorite finds

📑Read | A broken sport': Franchise free-for-all compromises players' incentives

📑Read | Process followed by selectors before handing the Test Cap

📑Read | Sarfaraz and his Abbu live their dream

📑Read | The stupidest in English Test cricket history

📑Read | The Dhruv Jurel story | Son of Kargil war veteran

📑Read | Friendlies: The glue that binds the grassroots game together?

FROM HQ | SIGNING OFF

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That’s a wrap. We made this newsletter for you by hopping down some of our favorite cricketing rabbit holes. Stay thirsty. See you next week.

❤️ Waving,

Hoody & The Cricket Huddle Team

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