ECB sets the ball rolling for revamped T20
● Counties now expected to vote in favour ● Eight-team event in July and August 2020
The England and Wales Cricket Board executive has unanimously backed plans for a new city-based Twenty20 tournament, which will now hinge on the outcome of a postal ballot.
ECB chairman Colin Graves’ move to trigger the referendum came at a Lord’s meeting yesterday, after it emerged the previous day that all 18 firstclass counties had signed up to a “media rights deed” which authorises the ECB to include the proposal for the eightteam T20 competition in the portfolio to offer to prospective broadcasters .
The remaining stumbling block, one which is expected to be overcome by securing a minimum 31 postal votes in favour out of 41, is the requirement for an amendment to the existing ECB constitution to allow – as a one-off measure – a tournament which includes only eight teams rather than all 18 professional clubs.
The voters in the ballot are the Minor Counties Cricket Association and 21 recreational boards as well as the counties and the MCC .
A yes vote will pave the way for the ECB to run a new highprofile tournament in July and August from 2020.
Graves, pictured, described the board’s unanimous decision to formalise the ballot as a “watershed moment”.
He said: “The ECB board today gave their unanimous support to trigger a formal process to change the game’s Articles of Association and allow a new T20 competition.
“Our members have seen the evidence for why the new T20 proposal is the right way to reach new audiences, create new fans and fuel the future of the game.
“Together, we can now take a huge opportunity to not only create a deeper engagement with those who currently follow cricket but to attract a whole new audience.
“This is a watershed moment for us all to make the whole game stronger.”
With a £1.3 million-a-year share for each county for the first four editions of the new competition it seems likely there will be broad approval.
Six months ago, Kent and Sussex were two of three counties to dissent in a 16-3 show of hands in favour. Kent’s retiring chairman George Kennedy said: “I think the most important thing we wanted to make sure of was that the financial arrangements were appropriate.”
Some qualms persist, with the ECB forced to insist that it will be a one-off to sanction a tournament which does not involve every club – or indeed any of them, since the teams are expected to be separate entities using current grounds.
“I still think it is a pity all 18 clubs are not involved,” said Kennedy. “The worry is will it spread to the county championship or the one-day competition. But we were very strong on that [clause].”