COUNTY cricket club, Surrey wants to host Indian Premier League (IPL) in London and other parts of England, which could be a big boost to the cash-strapped domestic games.
Surrey hopes to bring the lucrative franchise based cricket league to its home ground, Kia Oval, and also to other Test venues in the country.
Post-Covid, the plan is to hold official matches, similar to when NFL came to London.
"We would love to bring the IPL to London and other areas of England,' Surrey chairman Richard Thompson told Sportsmail.
"We think that's the silver bullet in terms of reaching a more diverse audience for cricket in this country.
"We could stage games in the same way Jacksonville Jaguars, for one, play legitimate NFL games in London. The windfalls that staging the Champions Trophy and World Cup provided for English cricket were huge and we see the IPL on that level.
"This could be worth tens of millions to the English game. We have all lost so much money through Covid that we have to be more creative and provide cricket that generates revenue you wouldn't otherwise have made. That's why I think IPL is a no-brainer," Thompson added.
Surrey seems to have also approached London mayor Sadiq Khan for the project. Moreover, the Labour politician has an impressive track record of bringing international events to London.
Khan, who is seeking re-election as mayor next month, played a big role in the talks that brought Major League Baseball to London two years ago. Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees played two regular season games at West Ham's London Stadium.
During the hearing, Clifford denied all the charges except for the rape charge, which was added to the indictment at the session. (Photo: Hertfordshire Police /Handout via REUTERS)
Man pleads not guilty to murder of BBC presenter's family
A 26-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to charges of murdering the wife and two daughters of BBC sports commentator John Hunt in a crossbow and knife attack.
Kyle Clifford, who also faces charges of rape, appeared via video link at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday.
Clifford, arrested in July after a manhunt, is charged with three counts of murder, one count each of rape and false imprisonment, and two counts of possessing offensive weapons – a 10-inch knife and a crossbow.
During the hearing, Clifford denied all the charges except for the rape charge, which was added to the indictment at the session.
He is expected to enter a plea for that charge at a later date.
The victims were Carol Hunt, 61, wife of horseracing commentator John Hunt, and their daughters Louise, 25, and Hannah, 28.
An earlier hearing revealed that Louise had been found tied up and that both she and her sister had been shot with a crossbow, while their mother had been stabbed with a knife.
The fatal attack occurred at the family’s home in Bushey, a commuter town near Watford, northwest of London.
(With inputs from AFP)