CBS Sports Network to air major league cricket matches

Major League Cricket (MLC) announced today that select matches in its historic inaugural season will be aired live on CBS Sports Network this July. The agreement brings America’s new professional cricket league, featuring many of the world’s top players competing in the United States for the first time, to one of the nation’s leading sports channels.

Programming on CBS Sports Network begins on Monday, July 17, as the Texas Super Kings face MI New York live from 6:30 PM – 12:00 AM, ET. Coverage continues on Friday, July 21, live from 5:30 PM – 9:00 PM, ET, featuring the Seattle Orcas and the Texas Super Kings. The San Francisco Unicorns take on the Texas Super Kings on Monday, July 24, with live coverage from 5:30 PM – 9:00 PM, ET.

The broadcasts, airing live on CBS Sports Network, will feature a world class production, with a 30-camera set-up for the matches at Grand Prairie Stadium in North Texas and Church Street Park in North Carolina. An all-star lineup of announcers includes cricket icon Sunil Gavaskar from India, former South Africa captain Graeme Smith, former New Zealand international Danny Morrison and former Zimbabwe international Mpumelelo Mbangwa. Experienced announcers Natalie Germanos (South Africa) and Alan Wilkins (Wales) along with rising star Nikhil Uttamchandani (Barbados) complete the commentary team.

Six teams will compete in MLC’s inaugural season from July 13-30: the Los Angeles Knight Riders, MI New York, San Francisco Unicorns, Seattle Orcas, Texas Super Kings and Washington Freedom. Superstar players set to take part in MLC include Afghanistan T20 captain Rashid Khan, Pakistan’s Shadab Khan and Haris Rauf, South African internationals Faf du Plessis and David Miller, West Indians Sunil Narine, Kieron Pollard and Andre Russell, Australians Marcus Stoinis and Aaron Finch, England's Jason Roy and New Zealand’s Trent Boult.

Vijay Srinivasan, Co-founder, Major League Cricket said “Major League Cricket showcases the very best players from the world’s second most popular sport playing right here in America. Billions of fans worldwide love this sport and we’re delighted to bring adrenaline-packed matches taking place this July in front of sold-out crowds in Texas and North Carolina to the wide audience CBS Sports Network reaches.”

The new premier cricket-specific venue in the Dallas-area, Grand Prairie Stadium, will play host to 12 matches in the groundbreaking American professional cricket championship, with seven matches also taking part at Church Street Park in Morrisville, North Carolina.