Chris O'Connor
Player Valuation: £35m
Looks like it.
ECB set to ratify further season delay and discuss Hundred postponement
The England and Wales Cricket Board is set to ratify a further delay to the start of the season and discuss the Hundred’s seemingly inevitable postponementwww.theguardian.com
ECB set to ratify further season delay and discuss Hundred postponement
The England and Wales Cricket Board is set to ratify a further delay to the start of the season and discuss the Hundred’s seemingly inevitable postponement
With The Hundred's launch now not until 2021 Tom Harrison the chief ecec of the EWCB has gone on record to say it's now more important than ever to their future plans.
There is little doubt they had a disaster in promoting and marketing, through the press, their initial plans - so much so it caused an avalanche of criticism with anything in it's favour buried unnoticed and not even realised by many.
I'm always one to give any new venture and format a try before throwing brickbats at it before it's even started, and have written before on how almost all change has been universally condemned, more especially by those naturally more vociferous and anxious to get their opinions across. Much change in the past has been against widespread initial reluctance and opposition but been found to have eventually brought huge benefits to the game. While some objections are valid and remain concerns, the new venture has enough different about it, not just in rules but player recruitment, marketing and media coverage and strategy, that it my well in time prove another important step taken for both the men's and women's game.
It's far easier to oppose than wait and see, remaining neutral or to support - criticising potential shortfalls always makes better headlines as who will read a valedictory piece supporting it, the editor may even advice not to bother.
In England it's test cricket and bilateral international cricket that largely funds the rest, with T20 never really reaching the heights of the international franchise moneymaking tournaments in other countries. Worldwide though it's the franchise short format cricket that thrives, so much so that it far overshadows international cricket.
The IPL, Big Bash and similar in South Africa, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Carribbean make most of the profits there whilst bilateral international one day or T20 stuff exists only on the periphery.
If international cricket increasingly is to take a lesser role then the ECB may be wise to try this new city based franchise venture, even if it needs to evolve as best practice becomes apparent.
Last edited:
) and Henry Blofeld is on it, comes across as a really great bloke which is what you’d assume having listened to him over the years on TMS but you never actually know if it’s all just an act and they are actually *ossers in real life.
