'We must not neglect county cricket, nor its great tradition': ECB form working party to advise on domestic future

The governing body has established a panel, made up of county coaches and board members, PCA representatives and ECB figureheads, which has been given the task of formulating a plan for the English summer going forward

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Wasim Khan will chair the ECB county working group

The ECB have announced the formation of a working group, whose mandate will be to make recommendations for "refining" the structure of county cricket from 2020.

With the introduction of the ECB's new franchise tournament, The Hundred, the landscape of the domestic game remains unclear.

In early April, an emergency meeting was held at Edgbaston between county directors of cricket while on Wednesday the Professional Cricketers' Association spoke of their concerns over the uncertainty.

In reponse, the governing body has established a panel, made up of county coaches and board members, PCA representatives and ECB figureheads, which has been given the task of formulating a plan for the English summer going forward.

The group will be headed by Wasim Khan, the Leicestershire chief executive, and will also include three directors of cricket - Warwickshire's Ashley Giles, Martyn Moxon of Yorkshire and Sussex's Keith Greenfield).

Essex chief executive Derek Bowden and his Glamorgan counterpart Hugh Morris, Mark Wallace and Ian Thomas from the PCA have also been invited to be a part of the initiative. Director of England cricket Andrew Strauss is also involved.

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Ashley Giles has been included in the working party

In announcing the plans, ECB chief operating officer Gordon Hollins stressed his organisation's commitment to the County Championship, despite the recent decisions to marginalise most of the competition into blocks at either end of the county summer.

"At such a significant time for the domestic game, it is crucial that we recognise the unique qualities of our existing county structure, ensure it is protected and that it retains the opportunity to thrive within the context of the changes that are coming in a couple of years time," he said.

"The cricket landscape is changing rapidly, both domestic and international – and the counties are very much at the sharp end of that change.

"A number of subjects and proposals have been raised in various forums over the last few weeks and months, such as a new conference structure for the Specsavers County Championship, and the question of what other cricket should be played during the new ECB tournament later in the summer of 2020.

“Given that background, it is sensible to assemble a group of interested and knowledgeable parties from various sections of the game."

The working party has been asked to provide a report detailing its findings and suggestions to the ECB's Cricket Committee later this summer.

The ECB may have been stung by the reaction to their plans for The Hundred - a 100-ball a-side competition designed, according to Strauss, to target "mums and kids in the school holidays" - but there is more than public opinion for the governing body to consider.

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Andrew Strauss will sit on the panel, which will report to the ECB Cricket Committee

“In striving to reach a new audience, we must not neglect county cricket, nor its great tradition," Hollins said.

“The County Championship is the oldest domestic first-class competition in the world, and also remains the most-watched, as we saw with the vibrant atmospheres at grounds up and down the country when the sun shone last weekend."

In the PCA's statement this week, which came following consultation with 85 per cent of county pros, other worries including the fair resdistribution of a bumper TV rights deal and the uncertainty over signing contracts beyond 2019 were aired.

Cricketers in the UK are also concerned about the future of the domestic structure, with the PCA saying that there is a fear that a natural pathway to one-day international cricket is being eroded.

There has been suggestion that 50-over cricket will take place during the five-week void when the ECB's franchise tournament kicks in, acting as an outlet for those players not drafted. Four-day matches are also a possibility. The new working group will be asked for their views on this issue as well.

"There is so much to celebrate in county cricket, and that is why it’s so important to think seriously about the best way for it to prosper from 2020," Hollins concluded.

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