MCC to celebrate Spirit of Cricket during Season Five of the DP World ILT20  

As MCC continues its programme of celebrating the Spirit of Cricket around the globe, the Club has teamed up with the DP World International League T20, which takes place in the UAE later this month. 

A ‘Spirit of Cricket Award’ will be presented at the culmination of the tournament to one of the six teams, or an individual, that has been seen to embody the Spirit of Cricket. 

MCC, as part of its remit as Guardian of the Laws, is promoting the values of the Spirit of Cricket on a global basis. The Club hopes that, by celebrating cricket in the country and educating players about the Spirit, it can help to spread the word more widely. 

Following the first award of its kind presented in the Nepal Premier League last year, MCC has since partnered with ICC Europe to present an award at each of the three ICC Europe Men's Sub Regional World Cup Qualification events earlier this year. 

There was a similar award presented at the European T20 Premier League in September, and more recently at the Hong Kong Sixes. 

The DP World ILT20, now in its fifth season, is a six-team T20 league which runs between Saturday 21 November and Sunday 20 December, and is the biggest tournament in the Gulf region. The matches will take place at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi, the Dubai International Stadium, and the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. 

Desert Vipers are the defending champions. Previous winners include Gulf Giants, MI Emirates and Dubai Capitals. Abu Dhabi Knight Riders and Sharjah Warriorz are the other two teams in the 34-match tournament. 

There are a range of star overseas players in the tournament this year, including Babar Azam, Liam Livingstone, David Miller, Rashid Khan, Heinrich Klaasen, Faf du Plessis, Nicholas Pooran, Phil Salt, Alex Hales, Tim Seifert, Fakhar Zaman, Usman Tariq and Sunil Narine.  

Rob Lynch, Director of Cricket and Operations at MCC, said: “MCC sees franchise leagues as the standard-bearers for playing the game in the right way – playing hard but playing fair and with a smile on your face. With many of the players involved being international teammates and facing each other in competitive cricket, the tournaments can be a catalyst for improvements in player behaviour across the game. 

“The Spirit of Cricket is an MCC led initiative, and we are pleased to be working with the DP World ILT20 and to present this award end of the tournament.” 

Mike Fordham, Interim Chief Operating Officer DP World ILT20, said: “We are delighted to partner with cricket’s most revered club – Marylebone Cricket Club. The DP World ILT20 has grown into one of the leading cricket tournaments by attracting a global audience and through the participation of some of the top players in the world. We are proud to be arguably the most international T20 league, with players from 19 cricketing nations representing our six franchises this season.  

“The tournament has always been hugely competitive with top quality cricket on display. Our matches have always been played in the right spirit with cricket’s traditional sporting values remaining at the forefront.  

“The partnership with MCC adds immense value to the league and combines perfectly with the way cricket is played at the DP World ILT20. We look forward to the inaugural Spirit of Cricket Award and working closely with MCC to uphold the true values of the game.”   

This award, along with the others that have been presented in this manner, are in addition to the main MCC Spirit of Cricket Award, established by MCC and the BBC in 2013 to honour Christopher Martin-Jenkins.