ECB considering disbanding The Hundred and T20 Blast for a new solitary T20 competition amid threat from MLC - Reports
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is contemplating a comprehensive overhaul of its domestic short-format calendar. England currently plays host to two such tournaments in the form of the T20 Blast and the recently forged Hundred.
With the two events failing to keep up with tournaments like the ongoing US-based Major League Cricket (MLC), the ECB is planning to scrap the T20 Blast and the Hundred competitions entirely to form a new T20 tournament from scratch. The success of the inaugural editions of the SA20 and ILT20 has also added pressure on England.
According to a report by The Times, top brass from ECB and county chiefs will discuss the proposition soon. The authorities are apparently concerned about the presence of two short-form tournaments in the domestic calendar.
The likely approach, which has been backed in the initial stage is to form a new T20 tournament with the 18 counties, but with a private ownership model. The ECB currently owns the teams in the circuit and a potential system where the ownership is shared between the official body, the counties as well as private investors.
It is to be noted that the idea is still in its initial stage and it could be a while before a change of such magnitude is finalized. The major factor that needs to be considered is the ongoing broadcast deals that the existing tournaments have in place. As a result, any potential change in schedule will only come after 2025 or even 2028.
The ECB refused to comment on the speculations and is yet to issue anything official surrounding the radical switch.
"I think now the Major League Cricket tournament's come in, that's going to affect the Blast really badly" - Glenn Maxwell on ECB's structure
Another aspect that is hurting ECB's credibility is the open endorsement for other leagues by players partaking in England's domestic short-form competitions.
Glenn Maxwell, while representing Birmingham Bears in the T20 Blast, expressed that the tournament is in trouble following the inception of the 'lucrative' MLC in the USA.
"I think now the Major League Cricket tournament's come in, that's going to affect the Blast really badly," Maxwell said on BCC radio. "When you've got an opportunity to go over to America for two weeks, compared to 14 games here with a stressful schedule where you're traveling all over the place," he said on BBC Radio.
"There was one week where we played on a Tuesday in Durham, Thursday in Leeds and then Friday here in Birmingham - that's three games in four days with a day's travel in between," Maxwell added.
Will England devise a plan in time to enter the franchise T20 tournament domain? Let us know what you think.