LONDON, April 30: The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed on Wednesday their plans to stage a two-division Twenty20 competition next year, an event they hope will rival the Indian Premier League. The move was backed by the English governing body´s board despite criticisms that it will lead to too much Twenty20 cricket in a domestic season that also includes the existing Twenty20 Cup. The new tournament, which will be called the P20, is due to be staged in June, when, English officials hope, many of the world´s best players will be available to play, just as they do in the IPL, which is currently taking place in South Africa.
The IPL features city-based franchise teams owned by wealthy businessmen and Bollywood stars. By contrast, the teams in the P20, which comes with the additional incentive of qualification for the Champions League, will be England´s existing 18 first-class county teams.
Related story
Tip Top wins T20 tourney
