The good, the bad and the mad… The ECB’S ideas to improve cricket

100-ball cricket

The ECB had pushed through a new Twenty20 competition, and Tom Harrison, the chief executive, wrote in defence of the tournament in

Almanack,

which was released on April 12 this year. A week later, the ECB announced it would not be a new T20 tournament at all, but instead a new format: 100-ball cricket.

No lbws

The ECB considered scrapping the lbw law, to make the format simpler to understand, but this concept has now been abandoned.

10-ball overs

When the plans for 100-ball cricket were unveiled in April, they included one 10-ball over per innings, which could be bowled by multiple bowlers. This concept has been scrapped.

Five-ball overs

Now the ECB’S plans for the 100-ball format to comprise 20 overs – just like in T20 – but of five balls each, rather than six.

General managers

Each of the eight sides are

likely to have a general manager, responsible for hiring and firing coaches and maintaining high performances. These have been successful in American sports and T20

leagues around the world.

10-over cricket?

Harrison recently had a meeting with the founder of the 10-over league in the United Arab Emirates and is reportedly considering

introducing the concept to England.

And now… 12-a-side

The ECB is considering a proposal that each team would select 12 players – but only 11 would be permitted to bat and field.