Rajasthan to Hampshire: Royals form global brand

Cricket's unexpected recent penchant for innovation shows no signs of abating after the world's first global sporting franchise was unveiled - at the usually stuffy surroundings of Lords cricket ground.

The deal will see Indian Premier League side Rajasthan Royals, captained by Shane Warne, join up with county side Hampshire in England, Trinidad & Tobago in the West Indies, the Cape Cobras in South Africa and an unnamed Australian state side to play as the Royals2020. All five of the teams will play in their domestic Twenty20 competitions as the 'Royals' and there are plans for an annual tournament, the Royals Festival, that will pitch the different sides against each other.

The new brand will have a presence in five of the eight major cricketing markets, and the aim is to develop its commercial strength through local support and sponsorship deals. The teams may also go on tours to other territories. The Rajasthan Royals chief executive, Sean Morris, said he hoped the Indian side would play at Lords this summer and in South Africa and Australia at the end of the year. He hinted at games in Dubai in 2011.

Under the new arrangement it may be possible for players to move from team to team, depending on the rules governing the number of overseas players allowed in domestic competitions. The Royals will develop a worldwide scouting network to uncover new talent.

Although several football clubs have informal agreements with teams in different countries there has never before been a sporting franchise that has operated under the same name in different countries.

Rajasthan Royals coach and captain Warne, who also played for Hampshire in England said he was "excited" by the innovation. "It is a bonus that clubs with which I have such deep affection are so involved," he added.

Rajasthan were the winners of the inaugural Indian Premier League in 2008 and are part-owned by Manoj Badale, a London-based businessman, and the Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty. ·