Twenty20 league expected next year in United States

A professional Twenty20 cricket league is scheduled to start in the United States next year, the chief executive of Cricket Holdings America LLC (CHALLC) Keith Wyness said.

Wyness, a former chief executive of English Premier League Everton and Scottish Premier League Aberdeen, is responsible for a business plan including the sale of Twenty20 franchises for a professional league.

CHALLC is a joint venture between New Zealand Cricket and the United States of America Cricket Association for the development of cricket within the United States.

"At present we are looking at a target date of starting games in the summer of 2013," Wyness said in a statement released by CHALLC. "We will certainly have leadup events through 2012.

"Without a doubt Twenty20 is the format that is going to achieve most visibility and penetration in the USA -- that is what we expect to happen.

"However, we will also be supporting other forms of the game if there is a need and desire as we move forward."