The future of domestic T20?

The English franchises – what they might look like

The debate rumbles on over the future of the English domestic T20 competition.

In one corner, the counties seem reluctant to deviate from the T20 Blast. Essex CCC chief executive Derek Bowden argues: “The 18 counties are all making a profit out of T20, some more than others depending on how they do and how well they market it."

After a record-breaking summer of domestic attendances, it's difficult to argue against the fact that the existing model is funding our four-day cricket, the stepping-stone to Test cricket.

In the other corner, many current and former players are in support of an attractive franchise-based system following the success of the Indian Premier League and Australia's Big Bash. Yorkshire captain Andrew Gale hinted towards city-based franchises on Twitter. “Franchise system would work in England,” he said. “Ten cities, over a three-week period, straight after IPL. World’s best players, bigger crowds.”  

So where do the management stand? The England and Wales Cricket Board says no final decision has been made. ECB chairman, Colin Graves, is reportedly set on introducing a city-based T20 series from 2017, with Sky understood to have offered to pay around £40m a year in broadcasting rights to see a revamped competition around eight city-based teams. The biggest hint yet was dropped earlier this year when Mike Fordham, one of the key players involved in developing both the IPL and the Caribbean Premier League, was recruited by the ECB, who tasked chief executive Tom Harrison to lead a root-and-branch review of English cricket.

The summer of 2017 is just 18 months away. If English franchise T20 cricket was to take shape quickly, here's our view on how these eight city-based operations could be structured:

 

Birmingham Bears

Ground: Edgbaston

Player pool: Warwickshire, Worcestershire

Stars: Moeen Ali, Ian Bell, Rikki Clarke, Ross Whiteley, Joe Leach, Chris Woakes, Jeetan Patel

 

Cardiff Dragons

Ground: Swalec

Player pool: Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, Somerset

Stars: Marcus Trescothick, Peter Trego, Jim Allenby, Michael Klinger, Dean Cosker, Tom Smith, Colin Ingram, Chris Cooke

 

Leeds Carnegie

Ground: Headingley

Player pool: Yorkshire 

Stars: Joe Root, David Willey, Gary Ballance, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Jonny Bairstow, Tim Bresnan

 

London Legends

Grounds: Lord’s and The Oval

Player pool: Middlesex, Surrey, Essex

Stars: Brendon McCullum, Eoin Morgan, Dawid Malan, Steven Finn, Jason Roy, Rory Burns, Tom Curran, Ravi Bopara, Tom Westley, Jesse Ryder, Ryan ten Doeschate

 

Manchester Lightning

Ground: Old Trafford

Player pool: Lancashire

Stars: James Anderson, Jos Buttler, Steven Croft, Stephen Parry, Arron Lilley

 

Newcastle Magpies

Ground: Chester-le-Street

Player pool: Durham

Stars: Ben Stokes, Mark Wood, Usman Arshad, John Hastings, Paul Collingwood

 

Nottingham Outlaws

Ground: Trent Bridge

Player pool from Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Northants, Nottinghamshire

Stars: Stuart Broad, Michael Lumb, Alex Hales, James Taylor, Ben Cotton, Wes Durston, Kevin O'Brien, Olly Stone, Richard Levi

 

Southampton Saints 

Ground: Rose Bowl

Player pool: Hampshire, Kent, Sussex

Stars: Sam Billings, Chris Jordan, Tymal Mills, Reece Topley, Sam Northeast, Michael Carberry, James Vince, Luke Wright