Jude Bellingham has bought a minority stake in a cricket team, the Birmingham Phoenix, that plays in The Hundred, a professional cricket league in the United Kingdom, created in 2021. Bellingham has bought 1.2% of the franchise, worth close to £1m, according to BBC Sport, and said that he felt he owed something to the city.
The England international and Real Madrid midfielder started his career at Birmingham City, in the 2019/20 season, before being signed by Borussia Dortmund in 2020. "I'm very grateful for what the whole city of Birmingham has done for me. I love cricket as well so when I got the opportunity to get involved I didn't really think twice about it, so I'm so happy to be on board.
"I feel like I owe the city something. Right now it's difficult with how busy I am with football, but if there's a way in which I can help then I want to and this feels like a good way."
Birmingham Phoenix is currently owned by the Warwickshire County Cricket Club, one of the main cricket clubs in England, with a 51% of the club, and by an American investment group, Knighthead Capital Management, who owns 49%, also owning the football club Birmingham City. Bellingham has taken 0.6% stake from each party, so now Warwickshire owns 50.4% of the Phoenix.
"I was fortunate growing up I had the option of playing cricket and playing football, but some kids don't have that opportunity. It's important that if I can get involved in something like this to shine a light on an opportunity for kids, then even better", added Bellingham.
The Hundred cricket league, named that way because it uses the 100-ball cricket format, features eight franchises with men and women teams, and is played every year since 2021 between July and August.