Fantasy League (cricket)

Some websites and/or third parties offer clubs the opportunity to set up online 'fantasy leagues' which operate in a similar manner to those run in professional sports leagues. Club members are able to select players from their own club as part of their own 'team' and are rewarded with points based upon their performance. Clubs that set this up need to to decide whether they want to do it for profit or amusement (or both). Here are some of benefits and concerns of running fantasy leagues that have been identified by clubs who have operated them:

Benefits

• They can be very popular (especially when first introduced).
• They can generate a lot of friendly banter within the club.
• They are a (minor) source of funds for the club.

Concerns

• It is necessary to ensure that no-one has 'insider knowledge' of team selection before the time to enter the fantasy team has closed. Along these lines, it may be best if those who have the potential to be in this position (eg team selectors) do not participate in the fantasy league.
• The system should generally be linked to official score pages, such as MyCricket (Australia) or Play-Cricket (UK) statistics. It is too time consuming for clubs to try to calculate scores manually.
• Interest may fade after the fantasy league has been in operation longer than a season or two.