Sir Andrew Strauss English Men’s Cricket Review proposes overhaul with six-team County Championship first place | News about cricket
The high-performance review’s recommendations for England men’s cricket include the first division of the 6-team District 6 Championship from 2024 and a new domestic fixture schedule, with the aim of delivering sustained success for England “in all its forms”; 12 out of 18 First Class Counties must agree to the structural changes
Last updated: 09/22/22 11:00 am
Sir Andrew Strauss’ high-performance review of English cricket has suggested a major overhaul in the country, including a six-team top-flight in the District Championship, a 50-man knockout and reduced schedules for all teams and players.
The review, led by the former England captain and endorsed by the ECB, includes a total of 17 recommendations for men’s cricket, and Strauss says they can help England become “the best team in the world at all”. modalities within 5 years, in a sustained period of time”.
The most eye-catching proposals involve a domestic reform.
The report proposes a County Championship first division tournament of six teams, with the two conventions below also six teams vying for a promotion spot. The number of matches is also reduced, from 14 to 10, while the schedule is set from May to September to allow for more cricket in the best conditions.
There are plans for the One-Day Cup to be played entirely in April, with six rounds and a key knockout element, while the T20 Blast will run from May to July with a focus on “the players.” main location” from Thursday to Sunday.
The Hundred will be maintained in August.
The domestic structural recommendations are for 2024 as early as possible and require approval by two-thirds of First Class Counties (FCCs) – meaning 12 out of 18 must vote in favor.
“The current schedule isn’t working the way it should,” Strauss said Sky Sports News. “There’s no one-size-fits-all solution. It’s a big Rubix and I think it’s the best solution for future British cricket.
“It addresses some of the fundamental problems that have prevented Britain from achieving [sustained success] in the past.”
Strauss said that a six-team premier league would lead to a “higher standard”.
“It means the quality of the players will be higher, the quality of the cricket will be higher,” he explained. “It reduces the gap between domestic cricket and international cricket. And the number of crickets is a bit less, so there will be more time to rest and fix.”
When asked if he was confident the FCC would approve, he said: “I hope so. This is a package of recommendations that, if they work together, complement each other brilliantly. .”
Full High Performance Proposals | Strauss: ‘There are no easy answers… but changes are needed for sustained success’
Strauss’ expert panel for the review, formed after last winter’s loss to the Ashes in Australia, includes Sir Dave Brailsford, Dan Ashworth and current England men’s cricket chief Rob Key, and the report published on Thursday aims for a “prosperous domestic game” and is for “english teams that inspire by the way they win.”
The review highlights England’s lack of success abroad compared to home in international cricket, and recommends the pilot use of the Kookaburra ball in domestic first-class cricket to help the players.
There is also a proposal for a pre-season overseas ‘North vs South’ competition, and improved access to warm-weather training facilities abroad.
17 recommendations of the high performance review
High performance requirements | introduction |
---|---|
Focus and align on high performance in the game | 1. Creating Accountability for Men’s High Performance |
2. Enhance our shared understanding of ‘What it takes to win’ | |
3. Foster a High Performance Community | |
4. Develop skills and diversity in performance leadership roles | |
5. Rewards impact performance | |
Players are equipped to succeed in every format, around the world | 6. Challenge our bowlers to develop their global skills |
7. Give players access to overseas experiences | |
8. Provide international benchmarks sooner | |
9. Regain the Lions | |
A thriving domestic game best suited for counties, players, fans and England men’s teams | 10. Build a consistent domestic schedule |
11. Upgrade the standard and intensity of our competitions | |
12. Encourage higher quality pitch | |
13. Provide opportunities for talent and reward counties for growth | |
England team inspires by the way they win | 14. Maintain a fun ‘shopping store’ for the game |
15. Allows England players to better manage their workload | |
16. Improves physical and psychological resilience | |
17. Schedule international matches to let players play their best cricket, more often |
The ECB will implement 15 of the 17 recommendations, with the remaining two related to the aforementioned domestic structure.
“I am delighted that today we are able to publish a report, which sets out the fundamental changes we believe are necessary to achieve sustained success for our England men’s team and to help the sport.” Men’s football in the country developed rapidly when- Strauss said.
“The game has to be united if we are to achieve those ambitions and we have to be open to change. The consistent message we get, from the players to the fans and the coach, is that status quo is not an option.
“I encourage everyone to treat our proposals as a package, and I welcome the opportunity to debate well-informed about recommended changes to the structure of men’s families.
“There are no easy answers about the men’s domestic structure. The recommendations prioritized a tighter, more manageable schedule for overworked players, coaches and field staff. while still delivering the quality and quantity of cricket that the fans want to watch and meeting our high demands- operational goals.
“That includes playing first class cricket each month from May to September, raising the bar and intensity of the LV=Insurance County Championship and ensuring more opportunities for the best players to compete. across all domestic leagues.”
Than to follow.