ECB eyeing to switch The Hundred to T20 format: Report

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) are reportedly keen to change The Hundred, which is a format of its own wherein both teams play 100 balls each, to the conventional Twenty20 format, with the board looking to implement the change when the next television rights cycle begins in 2028.

The Guardian reports that, while the ECB are pushing ahead with proposals to switch the Hundred to a Twenty20 format, they plan to keep the competition’s name.  

The deal the board already has in place with the existing broadcaster, Sky Sports, is the reason why the aforementioned change cannot be pushed until at least 2028.

“Any change to the playing conditions would require the support of the ECB’s TV rights partner, Sky Sports, which expressed scepticism when the idea was first floated last year,” the report said.

“Sky has committed to investing £375m in the Hundred over nine seasons until 2028 so is reluctant to sanction a U-turn, although keeping the name may be enough to win its backing in a compromise agreement.”

Last year, it was revealed that The Hundred made a loss of £9 million (US$11.2 million) in its first two years. 

A report into the financial health of English cricket compiled by Fanos Hira, a chartered accountant who is chairman of Worcestershire County Cricket Club (CCC), with the help of the new England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chairman Richard Thompson, revealed that the competition has cost about UK£60 million (US$74.9 million) since its inception.

But sources close to the ECB are adamant that the competition is here to stay, with the board having no plans of abandoning or shutting it down.

“We have no plans to abandon the Hundred,” a source involved in the discussions told The Guardian.

“Our plan is to grow the competition and build on its success, whatever the format.

“Hundred is a well-known cricketing term so keeping the competition’s name will not be a problem. It’s a really powerful brand that has attracted interest from all over the world. But T20 is the global format and will be an Olympic sport from 2028 so we have to explore that option.”

As it stands, the competition has eight franchises, all city-based. The ECB have already finalized plans to to sell stakes in the eight franchises. That is likely to happen later this year.

The fourth edition of the competition will kick-off in three days’ time, on July 23 (Tuesday).

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