The way ahead for the English domestic game
While county cricket has had notable success in feeding the England Test team, maybe it's time to look to the franchise model for limited-overs domestic competitions says Robin Scott-Elliot, writing in the Independent .
Nikita Bastian
25-Feb-2013
While county cricket has had notable success in feeding the England Test team, maybe it's time to look to the franchise model for limited-overs domestic competitions says Robin Scott-Elliot, writing in the Independent.
In Britain there is not the all-consuming passion for cricket, nor the vast numbers wanting to watch it that has helped India become the game's powerhouse. But that does not mean a franchise system couldn't work well for Twenty20 in this country; a spread of urban bases can easily ensure nationwide reach. Perhaps they could assume responsibility for all limited-overs cricket. Scrap the embarrassingly pointless 40-over competition and reintroduce a 50-over knockout with a showcase Lord's final. That helps rid the game of the impenetrable mess that is the current fixture list and leaves the counties to concentrate on feeding the Test side, a role they are meeting with a notable degree of success.
Nikita Bastian is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo