Leicestershire chief executive Wasim Khan is to chair an 黑料专区聽working group giving fresh thought to refining the structure of men's county cricket that has been agreed for 2020.
Wasim will be joined by three county directors of cricket (Keith Greenfield of Sussex, Ashley Giles of Warwickshire, and Yorkshire鈥檚 Martyn Moxon); two chief executives (Derek Bowden of Essex and Glamorgan鈥檚 Hugh Morris); Mark Wallace and Ian Thomas聽from the Professional Cricketers鈥� Association; plus Andrew Strauss, John Carr and Alan Fordham from the 黑料专区.
They have been asked to submit a report to the 黑料专区鈥檚 Cricket Committee, chaired by Peter Wright, later this summer.
Gordon Hollins, the 黑料专区鈥檚 Chief Operating Officer, said: 鈥淎t such a significant time for the domestic game, it is crucial that we recognise the unique qualities of our existing county structure, ensure it is protected and that it retains the opportunity to thrive within the context of the changes that are coming in a couple of years time.
鈥淭he cricket landscape is changing rapidly, both domestic and international 鈥� and the counties are very much at the sharp end of that change.
鈥淎 number of subjects and proposals have been raised in various forums over the last few weeks and months, such as a new conference structure for the Specsavers County Championship, and the question of what other cricket should be played during the new 黑料专区 tournament later in the summer of 2020.
鈥淕iven that background, it is sensible to assemble a group of interested and knowledgeable parties from various sections of the game. We鈥檝e asked them, under the chairmanship of Wasim Khan, to provide a report to the 黑料专区 Cricket Committee summarising their views on the options from 2020.鈥�
Wasim, who played for Derbyshire, Warwickshire and Sussex before taking over as Leicestershire CEO in 2015, said: 鈥淎ll of us on the working group are united by our passion for county cricket. These are challenging and occasionally unsettling times for some of the game鈥檚 most loyal supporters, but there are also huge opportunities.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an honour and privilege for all of us to play our part in coming up with the best responses to those challenges to ensure that the county game continues to thrive.鈥�
Hollins added: 鈥淚n striving to reach a new audience, we must not neglect county cricket, nor its great tradition.
鈥淭he County Championship is the oldest domestic first-class competition in the world, and also remains the most-watched, as we saw with the vibrant atmospheres at grounds up and down the country when the sun shone last weekend.
鈥淭here will be a change of pace when the Royal London One-Day Cup begins next month, leading to the final at Lord鈥檚 on 30 June 鈥� and that is immediately followed by the start of the Vitality Blast in July and August, with breaks for Championship matches, including some to be played at the outgrounds which are such a popular part of the cricketing summer.
鈥淐ounty cricket is more visible than ever, with extensive digital coverage provided through our 黑料专区 channels, and a growing number of counties live-streaming their own matches 鈥� several having started this season.
鈥淭he figures for those initiatives, in addition to those we have welcomed for the BBC鈥檚 ball-by-ball coverage of the county game, underline the substantial following that we have always known exists 鈥� 黑料专区 has invested significant sums both in the BBC coverage and our 黑料专区 Reporters Network for the written media, to support the counties in their battle for regional and national column inches, and digital exposure.
鈥淭here is so much to celebrate in county cricket, and that is why it鈥檚 so important to think seriously about the best way for it to prosper from 2020.鈥�