Dump the P20 please, ECB
What benefit is the P20 supposed to bring to English cricket? The ECB initially unveiled it as their answer to the IPL, but it has been watered down and fudged so much that the original question has long been forgotten.
The latest development took place in a meeting between the ECB and county chief executives, where the anticipated financial rewards were revealed for the first time. And the figures were thoroughly underwhelming. Sums of millions of pounds were bandied about when the idea was first approved, but now each of the 9 first division counties can expect to recieve just £250,000, with £150,000 for those in the second tier. No agreement has been finalised with an overseas broadcaster, and as yet there is no main sponsor in place.
As part of any deal with ESPN-Star, the Indian broadcaster likely to sign the TV rights, the ECB would have to assign an Indian player to each first division county, with 2 further overseas players allowed.
The financial windfall would have been much greater had the ECB had the strength to insist that this would not be an 18-team competition, but the counties faced them down and ensured that they would all be involved. Now, the bloated format has put the investors off.
It is time for our greedy, gutless administrators to wake up to the fact that we do not need another T20 tournament, or indeed, four domestic competitions in all. One each to cover the three formats (first class, 50 over and T20) would be plenty.
It would then give the players breathing space in between matches to work on their technique and recover the minds and bodies. Instead, they will continue to be flogged like work-horses while the ECB wonder why the quality, and popularity, of domestic cricket continues to wane. It might even go some way to producing a more consistent and competitive brand of international cricketer.
So, please ECB, get wise and start taking some decisions that have the welfare of the game, and not money, at their root. Will it ever happen? Get real…
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