The Major League Cricket (MLC) draught is set to take place on March 19 in Houston, Texas, USA. This summer, six teams will compete in the inaugural season of MLC.
The league's inaugural draught will take place at the NASA Johnson Space Center's Space Center Houston. Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. will field squads of 18 players, with a maximum of seven internationals on each roster.
"Major League Cricket's inaugural season will feature many of the best T20 players from around the world competing alongside the best domestic talent in the United States. The MLC draught will determine the teams for what will be a summer of thrilling T20 competition at a level never seen in the United States. We're looking forward to seeing the teams take off after the draught event on March 19th at Space Center Houston "Major League Cricket Tournament Director Justin Geale stated.
The draught will take place after the MLC Domestic Player Combine, which will be held from March 4 to 16 at the MLC National Cricket Center at Prairie View Cricket Complex (PVCC) near Houston. More than 50 of the top domestic cricketers in the United States will participate in a series of training sessions, match simulations, and practise matches under the supervision of coaches and scouts from the six incoming MLC franchises.
In addition, USA Cricket has been invited to include the MLC Domestic Player Combine in their preparation for the upcoming 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier Play-off. This invitation includes access to training facilities, competitive practise matches, and the use of specialised resources in advance of this important global event.
The camp will provide invaluable insight into America's elite domestic players for the six MLC teams sending scouts to the event, with players drafted having the opportunity to play alongside some of the world's top stars in the groundbreaking competition set for July 13-30, 2023.
Players who have previously competed in Minor League Cricket, America's leading domestic T20 competition, for the past two years will be automatically eligible for the draught.
Fans will be able to watch the draught live on the MLC Network YouTube channel via a special show. The full set of rules and draught procedure will be released later, and a small number of overseas player signings will be revealed prior to the event.
The league's inaugural match will take place on July 13, 2023, at Grand Prairie Stadium, a newly constructed Major League Cricket venue in Grand Prairie, Texas. The 2023 season will consist of 19 matches spread out over 18 days, culminating in the first-ever MLC championship final on July 30, 2023. More details on the MLC schedule and broadcast will be announced later.