“This is about growth and securing our future"
ECB chief executive, Tom Harrison, says the proposed eight-team T20 competition can be “the most globally relevant, fresh and dynamic tournament in world cricket”.
Let us not forget that it was England that led the way initially, when the ECB dipped a toe, testing the waters with the inaugural Twenty20 Cup in 2003. There is a great sea of opportunity out there, however, and our domestic T20 game has remained splashing around in the shallows while others have cannonballed into the Mariana Trench. A leap of faith into the unknown perhaps, but it seems to be paying off elsewhere.
Does that mean it will flourish in England? No. It may not work, we don’t know. But surely better to give an innovation-led project a chance to flourish, rather than bury the idea altogether in case it doesn’t.
The ECB have revealed a blueprint for the new competition, which looks set to start in 2020. Perhaps the most promising element is that all games are to be "televised with significant free-to-air-exposure". Whether or not it will be enough to slake the thirst for readily-available cricket remains to be seen, but it is a starting point.
Despite excellent coverage from the likes of BT Sport and Sky, the general consensus is that cricket needs to be shown on free-to-air television if it is to regain a major foothold in the public's consciousness.
Speaking on Radio 5live Sport, England’s Test captain, Joe Root said free-to-air coverage “would make a huge difference, it is very important that the public are given the opportunity to see cricket on free-to-air TV.”
Key elements of the proposed new T20 competition include:
'Agreed principles' that the new competition must meet:
Tom Harrison, Chief Executive of the ECB
“This is about growth and securing our future. As guardians of the game, it is the responsibility of all of us to steer cricket to a strong future and to pass it on in even better shape.
“A new T20 competition can be the most globally relevant, fresh and dynamic tournament in world cricket, built for here but highly valued all around the world.
“We are putting in place the building blocks where we have more kids playing the game, a fan base that is growing, a financially healthy network, thriving First Class Counties, with each of our England teams and our domestic competitions delivering and having clearly defined roles.
“I firmly believe that a new T20 competition - presented, staged and delivered in the right way - can be such a positive catalyst for the game here in England and Wales to attract a family audience.
“We recognise the challenges we face in cricket, including competition from other sports, driving participation, changing viewing habits, different working patterns and financial sustainability.
“This is a huge opportunity here for our game and if we grasp it, the future is truly exciting. We have already come a long way together over the last 18 months. All this progress is taking cricket in England and Wales to a very good place and it has come through debate, discussion, listening and building consensus.”
Colin Graves, ECB Chairman
“We face a groundbreaking opportunity in the weeks and months ahead and, if our members and if our members embrace it, the ECB will work with everyone in the game to ensure this huge potential and the investment that will come with this delivers an even stronger future for the game.”