The ETPL has launched, but can it survive without TV revenue? Two cricket journalists break down the commercial reality of the new franchise league.
Nathan Johns and Peter Della Penna join Zee Zaidi, cricexec Founder and Publisher, to explore the launch of the European T20 Premier League, questioning its financial viability without broadcast income or deep local engagement. The panel also unpacks the ECB's decision to veto the Euro Nations Cup and the ICC's structural changes to the ODI World Cup pathway, asking whether T20 is actually the right format to grow the game in associate markets.
Nathan Johns is a cricket journalist covering the Ireland and UK area. Peter Della Penna is a cricket journalist covering American and Associate circles.
The cricexec newsletter goes to senior executives across the cricket industry each week. Subscribe: [link]

Chapters
00:00 The ETPL launch and franchise economics
06:31 Local market engagement and the MLC comparison
21:11 The ECB's veto of the Euro Nations Cup
34:19 The ICC's changes to the ODI World Cup pathway
51:26 Format viability: Can T20 actually grow associate markets?

Topics covered — ETPL franchise economics — European cricket expansion — ECB regional strategy — Euro Nations Cup — ICC World Cup pathway — Associate cricket development
cricexec covers the business of cricket for the people who run it. Reporting, analysis and the annual Global Power 100.
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In this episode of The Business of Cricket podcast by cricexec (episode 13), Ravichandran Ashwin sits down with cricexec’s Zee Zaidi for a wide-ranging conversation that goes far beyond cricket.

Ashwin reflects on the role of failure in shaping success, sharing why setbacks — not achievements — have been the most important lessons of his career. He opens up about his early challenges, the influence of his father as a mentor, and how sport became a foundation for discipline, problem-solving, and personal growth.

The discussion explores themes that resonate equally in business and life — from sustained performance and passion-driven work to leadership, mentorship, and the importance of letting go. Ashwin also offers insight into his post-playing journey, including his role as an ambassador for the game, his approach to entrepreneurship, and why joy — not money — drives his decisions.

Blending personal stories with thoughtful perspective, this episode is a deep dive into mindset, resilience, and what it truly means to keep evolving — on and off the field.

Leadership in Cricket is the series of The Business of Cricket Podcast that talks to players and coaches the way you'd talk to any high-performance leader — because that's what they are. Each episode is an in-depth conversation with a current or recent international player, captain, or head coach, focused not on technique or tactics but on the leadership questions that sit underneath them: how to set culture in a dressing room, how to make decisions under enormous pressure, what failure has taught them, how they think about authority, accountability, and identity in a career measured in public. It's a sports leadership conversation built for an executive audience.

"The Labor Movement was the principal force that transformed misery and despair into hope and progress.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

“With all their faults, trade unions have done more for humanity than any other organization of men that ever existed.” – Clarence Darrow

Many cricketing nations have domestic professional players’ associations, such as the PCA in England and Wales, the ACA in Australia, the WIPA for West Indies cricketers.

The newly-rebranded World Cricketers’ Association (formerly FICA) was formed in 1998 to coordinate amongst these groups and also to represent all players in global forums on issues that cut across national boundaries.

But as is often the case whenever workers self-organize, throughout the history of cricket’s labor movement, players have faced resistance and opposition from powerful interests. This even continues today in cricketing countries without players’ associations.

On this episode, Tom Moffat, CEO of the WCA joins us for a fascinating chat about his organization, the varying climate for players in different parts of the world, and some of the key issues on concerning players’ associations today, including:

- The need for global scheduling windows

- Cricket’s multi-employer system

- Ownership consolidation in cricket (i.e. IPL teams)

- Women’s cricket

And much more

ABOUT CRICEXEC

Cricket’s only trade publication. We cover the industry off the field -- the people, organizations, and deals that drive the sport.

To read the latest industry news: https://www.cricexec.com

Subscribe to us on YouTube to get more great content!

Follow us on all other social platforms: @cricexec

Subscribe to our free "daily briefing" newsletter, delivered every weekday and read by top executives throughout the industry: https://www.cricexec.com/subscribe/

The MAX60 T10 tournament launched on Sunday, August 18 in the Cayman Islands featuring stars such as David Warner, Chris Lynn, and Thisara Perera. It’s the brainchild of Dario Barthley, cricket administrator and promoter in the West Indies, and CEO of BMP Sports, which owns MAX60.

Dario is best known throughout the cricketing world as the former Media Officer for the West Indies Men's Cricket Team. However, he also has extensive experience in running tournaments (Antigua’s long-running Cool & Smooth T20 tournament) and franchise teams (team manager in the CPL), which he leveraged into founding MAX60.

The MAX60 packs 25 games into eight days. Inaugural teams are T10 Abu Dhabi Champions New York Strikers, Caribbean Giants, Grand Cayman Stingrays, Boca Raton Trailblazers and Miami Lions.

Dario joined us on the Business of Cricket podcast to talk about the week-long MAX60 tournament, and the professional journey, unique to West Indies cricket, that got him there.

ABOUT CRICEXEC

Cricket’s only trade publication. We cover the industry off the field -- the people, organizations, and deals that drive the sport.

To read the latest industry news: https://www.cricexec.com

Subscribe to us on YouTube to get more great content!

Follow us on all other social platforms: @cricexec

Subscribe to our free "daily briefing" newsletter, delivered every weekday and read by top executives throughout the industry: https://www.cricexec.com/subscribe/

Boundaries North is one of the most innovative and exciting organizations in the cricket world today.

It’s a private company that formed a partnership with Cricket Canada in 2023 to monetize their full set of commercial rights – sponsorship, broadcast and merchandising.

In this week’s podcast we spoke to CEO Rahul Srinivasan: a former Canadian youth international cricketer who also worked in Canada’s professional rugby league solving similar problems.

Excited by the investment in cricket in the USA over the last few years, Srinivasan and his partners decided the same could be done for cricket in Canada.

Even though Boundaries North has only been active for 18 months, they’ve already put up some huge wins including major sponsorship deals for Cricket Canada with global brands such as Coke, TD, Nissan, and A&W.

But they’re doing a lot more than just monetizing rights – they’re helping drive infrastructure and grassroots development across Canada.

It’s an exciting conversation where Rahul talks about the specifics of Boundaries North’s business model, the details of its playbook, and their collective vision for the future of cricket.

For anyone who cares about Associate Cricket, or is interested in creative ways to grow the sport everywhere, this episode is a must watch.

ABOUT CRICEXEC

Cricket’s only trade publication. We cover the industry off the field -- the people, organizations, and deals that drive the sport.

To read the latest industry news: https://www.cricexec.com

Subscribe to us on YouTube to get more great content!

Follow us on all other social platforms: @cricexec

Subscribe to our free "daily briefing" newsletter, delivered every weekday and read by top executives throughout the industry: https://www.cricexec.com/subscribe/

Shane Watson is on a mission to change how the cricket world thinks – by revealing the secrets to his success.

He was one of the most technically skilled all-rounders of all time, but when he was on the verge of retiring, he discovered an approach to the mental side of playing which revolutionized his game.

Over the next four years, thanks to these new skills, Shane had some of the best performances of his life – including his legendary undefeated 117 off 57 in the 2018 IPL final to win it for CSK.

Since retiring, Shane has been sharing this mental skills approach with some of the sport’s biggest stars as the current head coach for the MLC’s San Francisco Unicorns and the PSL’s Quetta Gladiators.

But now Shane is sharing his performance secrets with the whole world.

He published a book called the Winners’ Mindset [as well as an online course] that details his approach and also helps readers apply his simple frameworks to turbocharge their own performances.

The world’s best cricketers swear by it – including Faf Duplessis, Rachin Ravindra, and Ricky Ponting among many others

And Shane also just released the Winners’ Mindset online course on his website, shanewatson.au – an interactive multimedia experience that enables users to easily learn and use these mental skills to elevate their own games.

Shane joined our business of cricket podcast to talk about his career, mental skills, and a whole lot more.

ABOUT CRICEXEC

Cricket’s only trade publication. We cover the industry off the field -- the people, organizations, and deals that drive the sport.

To read the latest industry news: https://www.cricexec.com

Subscribe to us on YouTube to get more great content!

Follow us on all other social platforms: @cricexec

Subscribe to our free "daily briefing" newsletter, delivered every weekday and read by top executives throughout the industry: https://www.cricexec.com/subscribe/

Finn Bradshaw, the ICC’s Head of Digital, has one of the most high impact jobs in all of cricket.

He oversees the ICC’s massive social channels, website and digital platforms, and reports directly to the ICC’s CEO. So he’s perfectly positioned to help grow the sport’s global audience and revenues.

And fortunately for the cricket world, Finn and his team are extremely passionate about what they do.

Watch our in-depth conversation with Finn that covers a variety of topics such as:

In this conversation, Finn discusses:

- the pivotal role of digital strategy in enhancing cricket's global reach and engagement.

- the ICC's digital initiatives, including social media strategies, content creation, and the importance - of connecting with diverse audiences, particularly in promoting women's cricket

- the evolution of cricket broadcasting

- the impact of the T20 World Cup

- growth of cricket in the US.

- the crucial role of sponsors

We also discuss Finn's career journey from Cricket Australia to the ICC.

The discussion highlights the importance of digital media and journalism in engaging audiences and the innovative approaches taken by various organizations in the cricketing world.

ABOUT CRICEXEC

Cricket’s only trade publication. We cover the industry off the field -- the people, organizations, and deals that drive the sport.

To read the latest industry news: https://www.cricexec.com

Subscribe to us on YouTube to get more great content!

Follow us on all other social platforms: @cricexec

Subscribe to our free "daily briefing" newsletter, delivered every weekday and read by top executives throughout the industry: https://www.cricexec.com/subscribe/

America’s Major League Cricket has exploded onto the global cricket scene.

And one of its most fascinating franchises is the San Francisco Unicorns.

Led by Head Coach Shane Watson and a star-studded squad including Pat Cummins, Haris Rauf and Finn Allen, they were the runners-up in the 2024 tournament.

They’ve also created a unique brand and culture.

On this episode we’re joined by the team’s co-owners, Anand Rajaraman and Venky Harinarayan – two incredibly successful Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, lifelong business partners, and cricket fans who decided to embark on a sports adventure.

They share insights with us on their approach to ownership including, giving Shane Watson his first ever coaching gig,

Their data driven approach to building the team,

The Unicorns’ unique name and branding,

And their special partnership with Cricket Victoria in Australia,

And so much more.

ABOUT CRICEXEC

Cricket’s only trade publication. We cover the industry off the field -- the people, organizations, and deals that drive the sport.

To read the latest industry news: https://www.cricexec.com

Subscribe to us on YouTube to get more great content!

Follow us on all other social platforms: @cricexec

Subscribe to our free "daily briefing" newsletter, delivered every weekday and read by top executives throughout the industry: https://www.cricexec.com/subscribe/