For cricket lovers. The beginning of the end

Next Wednesday there is a meeting of chief executives of all 18 county championship teams. The agenda an 8 team franchised t20 city league.
But this won't be voted on, it will just get carried through because the 8 cities chosen will get £1.5million each. It's thought teams from Northants, Derbyshire and Leicestershire won't be included which is apt, as they are the teams who have won it most.
While this is going on, an 18 team county t20 completion will be played at the same time, but obviously without their best players. In between the county t20 games will also be full 4 day matches taking place.
What a way to ruin cricket.

 

Mmm... I'd say yes lets have an 8 city franchise t20 comp ( only have to look at the IPL and Big Bash to see how successful this can be): but let's drop the notion of a county t20 comp. All counties should be given an equal share of the franchise comp's profits, sponsorship monies etc.

 

If Birmingham got a city team then the grumpy old men from the sticks might finally get their Warwickshire Bears back.

 

Cricket got ruined for me years ago when Sky got their hands on it. I barely follow it now.

 

T20 isn't cricket. They should hang their heads in shame if they vote this through, I don't know many people who will go watch Leeds play in this charade at headingley either

 

The 8 largest cities include both Sheffield and Leeds, and Liverpool and Manchester, so could we end up with 2 teams playing in Yorkshire and 2 in Lancashire? At the same time, about 4-5 counties could end up with 1 team in London!

 

Leeds (although they are desperate to remain Yorkshire to avoid upsetting anyone not from Leeds)
Manchester
Birmingham
Cardiff
Southampton
Nottingham
London north
London south

The rest are left out.

 

A truly awful idea. Sky not content with ruining football have also trashed cricket but this will take it to the next level.

 

So what you are saying is lets drop the all encompassing traditional county name and associate it with a city that anybody outside their boundaries would have trouble associating with instead? Fk me why??!!

 

I'll not support Leeds, so I can understand the need to keep Yorkshire as the title. There's a big lack of money issue in cricket and t20 pays the wages in most counties. They look at the IPL and the money that generates and naturally want some of that. T20 can be enjoyable, but there is a lack of satisfaction at the end of it. Runs are cheap, wickets are cheap, stroke play gives way to scoops, hooks and slogs and there's no time for strategy. I'll watch it, but it's not cricket.

 

Oh what I would give for a return to 2005 with the Ashes series on Channel 5. The whole country was transfixed and gripped with cricket. It was on in every pub and every house. All around the country, people sat in airports, train stations, cars in traffic jams, cinemas and restaurants leapt in the air when Ponting was out. At our village club we were inundated with parents wanting their kids to learn to play cricket. The country was bonkers about it.

Now nobody has heard of the top players, hardly anybody watches it and at our village club we can't raise a junior team because nobody is interested any more.

Thanks Sky.

 

It works miles better in a country like Australia though because so much of their population is in those 6 cities. In England we are spread out so much and it would mean actually getting rid of some teams completely which seems unfair. If you're from somewhere like Northampton you're probably going to have to support London North or Birmingham.

 

Oh and those jumping up and down on Sky's back, these proposals have nothing to do with them. The talks were with a view to the competition would be shown on terrestrial tv.

 

I agree completely mate. I believe something like 80% of Australia's population lie within the greater urban areas of the 5 major cities ( and hobart). Very different to us.

 

I agree totally but if the counties are continuing to have their own t20 comp alongside then I can't really see a problem: those from northants, leicester, derbyshire etc can continue to support their local team. The franchise comp will be a corporate affair and i cannot see it attracting many traditional or existing cricket fans.

 

Yeah it's ideal, especially with each city being in a separate state unlike England where we have Sheffield and Leeds in the same county etc.

Guessing the 8 cities would be London x2, Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester, Leeds, Nottingham, Southampton with possibly room for Cardiff somewhere.

 

you could see a problem earlier as you said it was a great idea and the counties left out shouldnt even have their own competition!!

 

Firstly i never ever stated i thought it was a "great idea". Further it is what it is. The proposals are for the counties to continue to have their own t20, i cannot see how both would be viable however. Indeed my first comment started with a "Mmm", which would suggest i have reservations.

 

"Mmm... I'd say yes lets have an 8 city franchise t20 comp ( only have to look at the IPL and Big Bash to see how successful this can be): but let's drop the notion of a county t20 comp. All counties should be given an equal share of the franchise comp's profits, sponsorship monies etc"

lets not quibble about verbage and il admit you didnt say great idea. it looked like you were a supporter however.

 

No i would prefer the existing comp to be altered, less games over a 4 week period max. But i believe the franchise will happen, if only for sky to sell the tv rights overseas where a huge wad would be flying their way from india.