Grave Vision: MLC’s lofty ambitions drive America’s push towards cricket’s great leap

Grave Vision: MLC's lofty ambitions drive America's push towards cricket's great leap

Johnny Grave, after seven years leading Cricket West Indies, now finds himself in Dallas, Texas, at the helm of Major League Cricket (MLC). His new mission: to establish cricket in a nation where it still struggles for relevance.

Grave's task is daunting. The American sporting landscape is unfamiliar, the market fragmented, and the cricketing ecosystem embryonic. But he's embraced the challenge. In just four months, he's expanded MLC to three active venues, securing the iconic Oakland Coliseum as a host ground. This involved shipping in drop-in pitches and assembling a team of global pitch curators to ensure T20 standards, a crucial step after last year's criticism of subpar wickets during the T20 World Cup.

Grave faces a fragmented domestic cricket scene in the USA, fueled by passionate diasporas but riddled with a disjointed structure and conflicting agendas. He aims to unify these disparate elements under a single umbrella shared by MLC and USA Cricket.

"The road map should be very clear that by playing in an academy, playing in a local league, getting selected for Minor League cricket and from Minor League cricket, playing in those open tournaments and then continuing to perform will lead you into getting drafted for Major League and then hopefully to USA colours," Grave said.

He recognizes the financial burden on grassroots stakeholders and aims to redefine their business models, making cricket a more sustainable and rewarding environment.

"We've had really good discussions with the players' union. We're probably going to be the first league in the US to sign an agreement with the players' union, which mainly focuses on the domestic players and supporting them and being seen as a player-friendly ecosystem is really important to us," Grave said.

Grave believes that if the U.S. establishes a thriving domestic cricket structure, it could attain full member status with the ICC. He sees the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics as a pivotal moment, a chance to explode into mainstream American consciousness.

"The one concern I think that the game of cricket would have would be the ongoing governance challenges that the board has faced over pretty much all of its recent history. But you hope that as USA cricket will fall in line with some of the rules and regulations of the US Olympic Committee. And once the governance issues settle down with USA cricket, then there's no reason why they wouldn't have a winning case," Grave said.

MLC, with nearly USD 100 million in funding, views itself as a cricketing startup. Grave, known for his bold decisions, has already made a significant move by securing the Oakland Coliseum.

His previous experience reviving international cricket during the pandemic and leading the Caribbean Premier League's return to action during COVID-19 demonstrates his ability to navigate high-stakes situations.

Grave's mandate extends beyond the glitz of a franchise league. His work could shape the future of cricket, particularly in the world's most influential media market. America, with its untapped potential, could become the next power center in world cricket.