Stick cricket Telegraph Sport understands the England and Wales Cricket Board will stick with the 40-over competition after consulting the counties and players. It is a blow for Andy Flower and the England set-up, who favoured a reintroduction of 50-over county matches to prepare players for the international arena. In March the board announced a reduction in the amount of Twenty20 and a review of the Clydesdale Bank 40 competition, with reverting to 50 overs one option on the table. When the Professional Cricketers’ Association polled its members that proposal was supported by 70 per cent.
However the players also backed a competition featuring only eight group matches rather than the current 12, a move met with strong objection by county chairmen fearing a drop in ticket sales. The counties argued that 12 matches had to remain, and the players have accepted, in that case, that 40-over matches are more practical. “If you look at the issue in isolation you will say 50 overs rather than 40 overs to line up with international cricket,” said Angus Porter, chief executive of the PCA. “Having said that, with the volume of cricket we have, 40 overs is more sensible given the likelihood of back-to-back matches. The extra time a team gets on the morning of a match is invaluable.”
No comments:
Post a Comment