From correspondents in Victoria, Australia, 11:00 PM IST

After announcing $20 million windfall for the Twenty20 series between England and his Caribbean Super Stars over the next five years, Texan billionnaire Allen Stanford now claims that cricket's shortest format has the potential to replace soccer as the world's leading team sport.

'With the right financial support behind it and right vision, it can be the dominant team sport in the world,' Antigua-based Stanford was quoted as saying in The Australian.

The $100m initiative, which could lead to an annual four-nation Twenty20 tournament at Lord's, will see each player on the winning side in each of the five matches collect $1m.

Of the remaining $9 million from each match, $1 million will be divided among the rest of the winning squad and a further $1 million will go to the victorious coaching and management staff while $7 million will be divided between the England and West Indian cricket boards. The losers will receive nothing.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)