Schofield Report recommends major changes

Ken Schofield has spent four months compiling his assessment of English cricket © Getty Images

The Schofield Report, published this afternoon at Headingley, has recommended cuts to the English domestic programme and a reshuffling of some of the key roles within the ECB. Overall there were 19 points in the report, of which 17 have been immediately endorsed, while the issues of management and the volume of cricket will be examined in more detail by the ECB.

The review committee was chaired by Ken Schofield, the former director of the European PGA Tour, with input from journalists and the public as well as from a committee of six former county captains - Micky Stewart, Angus Fraser, Nasser Hussain, Nick Knight, Hugh Morris and Brian Rose.

The ECB have said that the David Collier, the chief executive, will be charged with reporting to the board about the implications of a new management structure which has called for a managing director, national selector and director of county cricket.

While Schofield recommended that the domestic game be cut, scrapping the Pro40, he added that this should be addressed by the Domestic Structure Review Group and the ECB have agreed to this.

The report has also said that England should play one less Test per summer in order to reduce the demands place on the players and provide more time for recovery.

David Morgan, the ECB chairman, said: "The board wishes to express its gratitude to all members of the Schofield Review Team and in particular to Ken Schofield for his leadership of this review.

"The review was exceptionally well received by the board and I am delighted that the prompt endorsement of the recommendations will enable the beneficial changes outlined to be implemented in the immediate future."

Among the points already accepted by the ECB are a rebranding of the academy at Loughbrough to a performance centre and an annual training programme for players on the fringe of the national side.