Under radical plans set to be debated this autumn between the ECB and county bosses, the T20 Blast and the Hundred might be combined into a single short-form competition.
There are growing concerns that the domestic schedule, which includes two premier short-form competitions, does not work and that the Hundred will be unable to compete with other T20 franchise leagues.
ECB faces a threat, especially with the arrival of Major League Cricket (MLC) in America, which is set to expand next year and will likely compete with both the Blast and the Hundred while offering more valuable contracts.
The success of the first SA20 and ILT20 tournaments has also put pressure on England.
According to The Times, top ECB and county officials will meet soon to consider the proposal. The inclusion of two short-form competitions on the domestic calendar appears to be causing anxiety among the authorities.
The most likely approach, which has received initial support, is to organise a new T20 tournament with the 18 counties, but with private ownership. The ECB now owns the teams in the circuit, as well as a prospective structure in which ownership is divided between the official body, counties, and private investors.
It should be mentioned that the idea is still in its early stages, and it may be some time before a modification of this magnitude is implemented. The continuous television deals that the existing tournaments have in place are the most important thing to consider. As a result, any conceivable timetable adjustment will occur only after 2025 or even 2028.
The ECB has refused to comment on the rumors and has yet to publish an official statement regarding the dramatic overhaul.
Another factor undermining the ECB’s credibility is the open support for rival leagues by players competing in England’s domestic short-form competitions.
While playing for the Birmingham Bears in the T20 Blast, Glenn Maxwell stated that the tournament is in peril due to the establishment of the ‘lucrative’ MLC in the United States.
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