The England Cricket Board's controversial plan of having an IPL-style Twenty20 league here has been backed by the Players' Association (PCA)
LONDON: Dubbed "divisive" by some counties, the England Cricket Board's controversial plan of having an IPL-style Twenty20 league here has been backed by the Players' Association (PCA) which hailed it as "refreshingly professional".
The proposal for a Twenty20 league in 2010, that got leaked last week, has caused an uproar in English cricket fraternity with counties saying that it would sound the death knell for domestic cricket by marginalising smaller sides.
However, the PCA feels starting such a league would open up new opportunities for cricket in England and usher in a refreshing new phase where spectators would once again make a beeline for domestic cricket.
"The PCA feels very positive about a document that is clear, exciting and identifies a lot of opportunities, not just for nine teams but for the whole game," PCA chief executive Sean Morris was quoted as saying by 'The Guardian'.
"It's a refreshingly professional document and I hope everyone does consider it and its contents. It's not perfect but there's a lot of good stuff in it. There are complex issues but, if they can work out how to distribute the finances, that's good news," he added.
Meanwhile, Lancashire CEO Jim Cumbes, who resigned from the chief executives' committee after being criticised for backing the EPL proposal without taking other counties into confidence, also said that fears of smaller counties were unfounded.
"I think it could work. The document says that it respects the international calendar and respects Test cricket and that's what we all want. It doesn't actually have to hurt the smaller counties. It's just a question of distributing income - it's not dissimilar to the way Test money is distributed," he explained.
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