ECB Plans under possible threat

News in the Daily Mail last week suggests that a shortfall in Indian investment may yet derail the Graves-Harrison ECB T20 City Franchise plan.

The DM says that:

South Africa are launching their rival T20 Global Destination League this November and there have been more than 50 expressions of interest from Indian investors wanting to buy one of the eight teams. They will be offering the big stars lucrative deals second only to the mega-rich Indian Premier League.

Another threat to the ECB-controlled model comes from the Caribbean Premier League, who are also receiving plenty of Indian investment. IPL’s Kolkata franchise are buying the Trinidad team and re-naming them Trinbago Knight Riders.

Plus, the West Indies competition has been scheduled to go head-to-head with England’s current NatWest Blast in the same way as the South African model is going to threaten the Bangladesh version.

Not all the global T20 tournaments can flourish as the IPL and Big Bash have. The worry is that Indian money in South Africa and the Caribbean will be working against the England competition on which the ECB are staking so much.

An ECB spokesman said there is confidence their event will prove a major attraction to players and public. 

If the ECB's train never leaves the station, then a more sensible, palatable means of progressing the T20 competition might yet stand a chance. Use the "new competition's" marketing budget, but re-vamp the current competition or perhaps innovate with 2 / 3 divisions, introduce new teams from other (minor) counties or Scotland and Netherlands to spread coverage to reach a wider audience. Keep the finals day but have 3 finals on one day, one from each division. This would create a USP, compared to all the other global fare. Let the world copy us again, if that succeeds, it's far less risky than what they want to ride with.