Andrew Strauss hopeful of Twenty20 franchise deal
Tuesday 21 March 2017 18:37, UK
Andrew Strauss remains hopeful the English counties will agree to introduce a new Twenty20 franchise tournament.
Details of the England and Wales Cricket Board's plans for an eight-team competition, similar to the Indian Premier League or Australia's Big Bash, will be put to counties on Monday.
The idea is for the competition to enter the calendar from 2020, and ECB director Strauss told Sky Sports News HQ: "I'm very hopeful that we do go with that new tournament, as a way of engaging a new audience.
"That has to be the focus - to try to bring different, new people to the game of cricket that might not otherwise have been interested. It's a great vehicle to do that.
"There's been a lot of work that's gone into this, both in terms of market research and how best to run a new tournament.
"I think the ECB has done a good job in that, but ultimately it is for the counties to decide whether they think it's the right thing to do for the game."
The ECB launched a new initiative this week aimed at encouraging children's participation in cricket, while there are ongoing talks over a deal to stage 2019 World Cup games at the London Stadium.
"It's a fantastic stadium," Strauss said. "As a signal of intent in terms of how big an event the World Cup is, I don't think there's a better way to start it off. I don't think it's a done deal yet, but there have been conversations going on to try to make it work.
"I think we should generally look to innovate in the game to reach new audiences, and that's a great way to do it."
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