Major League Cricket (MLC) has announced the approval of an exclusive negotiating agreement with the City of Irvine to move forward with lease negotiations and design approvals for a new stadium on a 15-acre parcel of land at Great Park.
MLC, a new Twenty20 competition that is set to launch in 2023, will make a multi-million-dollar investment in the construction project. The league is set to appoint global architecture firm HKS to design the venue.
The stadium has a planned capacity of 10,000, which can be further increased for major international events.
The negotiating agreement has been unanimously approved by the Irvine City Council and outlines key dates and obligations over the next 12 months for both the city and MLC to agree terms and the approvals required for the stadium construction.
The stadium would serve as the home to MLC’s Southern California-based franchise. Support for the development comes from Knight Riders Group, a founding investor in the league and owners of the Indian Premier League’s Kolkata Knight Riders and the Caribbean Premier League’s Trinbago Knight Riders.
Shah Rukh Khan, who is leading the Knight Riders Group investment, said: “Our investment in MLC in America is based on our belief in the exciting future of cricket in the USA and is well aligned to our strategy of establishing Knight Riders as a global brand in T20 cricket.
“Plans to build a world-class cricket stadium in the greater Los Angeles area are exciting for us and MLC. This will no doubt have a transformational impact for cricket in one of the world’s most iconic metropolitan destinations.”
Sameer Mehta and Vijay Srinivasan, co-founders of MLC, added: “MLC is committed to building outstanding infrastructure for cricket in key markets accessible to legions of cricket-loving fans. We’re grateful to the City of Irvine for agreeing to explore this development in the heart of Orange County.
“Great Park’s position as a hub for community recreation and its array of first-class sports facilities makes it an ideal location for the addition of a venue serving the local cricket-loving community and the broader Greater Los Angeles region with major international cricket events set to take place there.”
The wide-ranging stadium plan also includes training facilities, locker rooms, luxury suites, dedicated parking, concessions, field lighting and an international-grade pitch to meet International Cricket Council accreditation.
It is hoped the stadium will host international cricket competitions in the future. The US will co-host the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup alongside the West Indies, and USA Cricket is also expected to bid for future men’s and women’s World Cup tournaments.
The ICC is also bidding for cricket to be included at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles and MLC said the new Great Park stadium would serve as a “centrepiece venue” if the sport is part of the programme.
In March, MLC announced timelines for multiple facility developments, including plans for additional new grounds, as part of its vision to introduce several leading venues for the sport in the US.
The league’s goal is to have several cricket-specific venues ready for play by 2024. The venues will host MLC games after the league launches in 2023.
Image: Major League Cricket
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