ApurbSSJ
Core Member
England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is looking to host a new eight-team Twenty20 tournament which will be played alongside the NatWest T20 Blast. The proposal was made during a meeting held between the Chairmen and Chief Executives of the First Class Counties, Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and the Professional Cricketers Association (PCA).
The main agenda of organising this competition is to broaden crickets appeal, provide greater financial stability for all 18 first-class counties and ensure that each continues to compete in all three formats of the game. However, the first-class counties will continue to take suggestions regarding the plan, while the PCA will address its full membership, all with the support of ECB.
"We've all been looking at how we can use domestic T20 for an even bigger purpose, especially getting more young people to play," Colin Graves, the ECB chairman, said on Wednesday (September 14).
The move was long due as most of the Test playing countries have their own franchise-based T20 competitions.
"This format was invented here and is successful worldwide. It can excite new fans, attract the best players and fuel the future of the game, on and off the pitch. The need to grow interest and participation in the game we love is at the core of our thinking and this is a rigorous process," Graves added.
All measures are being taken to make sure that the proposal is put into action. If the tournament goes ahead, then England will join India, Australia, West Indies, Pakistan, South Africa and Bangladesh as the countries to host their own T20 leagues.
"We've talked to each county individually about the need for change, a range of potential options and the implications. There's a constructive dialogue with County Chairmen and Chief Executives, the MCC and PCA and now agreement to move forward and further develop this approach. The next steps for us all, as a game, will be to extend the discussions and get valuable input from players, members and other key voices across the game," the ECB chairman concluded.
Eight-team T20 competition proposed in England | Cricbuzz.com
The main agenda of organising this competition is to broaden crickets appeal, provide greater financial stability for all 18 first-class counties and ensure that each continues to compete in all three formats of the game. However, the first-class counties will continue to take suggestions regarding the plan, while the PCA will address its full membership, all with the support of ECB.
"We've all been looking at how we can use domestic T20 for an even bigger purpose, especially getting more young people to play," Colin Graves, the ECB chairman, said on Wednesday (September 14).
The move was long due as most of the Test playing countries have their own franchise-based T20 competitions.
"This format was invented here and is successful worldwide. It can excite new fans, attract the best players and fuel the future of the game, on and off the pitch. The need to grow interest and participation in the game we love is at the core of our thinking and this is a rigorous process," Graves added.
All measures are being taken to make sure that the proposal is put into action. If the tournament goes ahead, then England will join India, Australia, West Indies, Pakistan, South Africa and Bangladesh as the countries to host their own T20 leagues.
"We've talked to each county individually about the need for change, a range of potential options and the implications. There's a constructive dialogue with County Chairmen and Chief Executives, the MCC and PCA and now agreement to move forward and further develop this approach. The next steps for us all, as a game, will be to extend the discussions and get valuable input from players, members and other key voices across the game," the ECB chairman concluded.
Eight-team T20 competition proposed in England | Cricbuzz.com
