The world's gone mad... I'm off to lie down and dream of timeless Tests

Guest columnist FRED BOYCOTT has heard all about the ECB's plans for a 100-ball innings format, and he's not the concept's biggest fan

This week it was confirmed that the world has indeed gone mad.

Here I sit, brew in one hand, newspaper in the other, reading about the plans for the ECB's new city-based one-day tournament. It can no longer be referred to as T20. That now has to be classed as the longer form of the game.

They have only gone and reduced our sport even further. One hundred balls per side. I'd laugh if I knew how.

I'm still trying to get my head around it, which must mean it's very complicated indeed.

The rules and regs, I won't be calling them Laws - no way, say the competition will be 15 six-ball overs with the remaining 10 deliveries to be used for tactical purposes! No other details were released. Thanks for that, gents.

Anyway, by my calculations that is almost a 17 per cent reduction in the length of the game. So unless they stop charging VAT on tickets everyone is on a loser from the start.

^{The T20 Blast will have an even shorter cousin}

A hundred balls, a hundred balls per innings, I cannot believe it. If the opening batsman carries his bat he would still only be halfway to getting his eye in. What are they thinking?

It can only be so that the BBC can squeeze the game in between EastEnders and the 10 o'clock news. I can think of no other explaination.

What about the 'fans' at the ground? By the time they have negotiated their way through the inevitable battery of merchandise stalls, queued up for a pint of overpriced and taken their seat, it will be time to go home. It's madness.

Think of the bowlers. Three overs of six balls each?  Think about that. The franchises sign up some of biggest names in world cricket and offer them ridiculous money (why else would they come) only for the highly-trained and finely tuned athlete turns up, bowls 18 balls and his job is done.

He barely has time to get a few looseners in. It's crazy, I tell you.

I can see players refusing to play red-ball cricket so that they can hone their skills and concentrate on these blink-and-you've-missed-it jaunts. It's money for old rope.

^{Fred Boycott fears for the County Championship}

Apparently the format has been discussed widely and is supported by the ECB board. The player representatives and broadcasters welcome it, too.

It is truly amazing what £1.3million per county can buy. But I suppose if you offer a turkey the choice of a hearty feed or a week without a meal you might just be able to persuade it to vote for Christmas.

I fear for the long-term prospects of the Test and county game. The exodus towards the short format has already started. This ridiculous proposal can only speed it up. Who's going to want to bat for two days or send down 40 overs in an innings when you can get away with a 20-ball slog? It's pandering to the lazy.

I'm off now to lie down in a dark room and dream of timeless Tests and 2,000 overs a season.

Cricket is better in that dark room.