ECB conference call not a first-class idea
Writing in the Times , Mike Atherton has come out strongly against the ECB for the way it has effected unsound changes in the domestic scene, the latest of which is move to institute a conference system, which "is a possibility because — wait for
Nitin Sundar
25-Feb-2013
Writing in the Times, Mike Atherton has come out strongly against the ECB for the way it has effected unsound changes in the domestic scene, the latest of which is move to institute a conference system, which "is a possibility because — wait for it — it works in the United States".
Consider what the cricket supporter in this country has had to put up with over the years: the championship has moved from three-day to four-day cricket and from one division to two, while the premier limited-overs competition has been reduced from 65 overs to 40, with multitudinous changes in format along the way, before being swamped completely by Twenty20. It is hard to maintain loyalty if you are not sure to what it is you are supposed to be loyal.
A move to a conference-style system, within the present structure that does not allow for the weaker clubs to strengthen their playing resources to any great extent, would be a recipe for disaster, a muddle of the free market and the welfare state that would produce a low-intensity, uncompetitive environment ill suited to the demands of the national team.
Nitin Sundar is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo