It's madness, if this report Cricinfo on a planned shake-up of the cricket in England is true.
Based on this article from The Daily Telegraph:
English cricket is poised for its most radical overhaul in more than a century, according to proposals being presented to the counties this week by England and Wales Cricket Board chairman Giles Clarke.
Three randomly chosen divisions with no promotion/relegation for first class cricket in England?
Cannot surely be true, where's the sense. How would that benefit Test cricket or the traditional game, which cannot be lost at all costs.
If splitting the divisions is the only way to reduce the quantity but and heighten the quality of county champs, then 3 regional divisions, (keeping local derby's) with top 8 (top 2 in each plus best two 3rd places teams) playing off at end of season for champion etc.
Twenty20 - although a great spectacle, and financially brining a financial boom for the game - is still fairly new, and no one knows whether interest will plateau/tail-off as currently every country is flogging this short form of the game for all its worth.
If everyone sets up IPL style competitions, some are going to end up embarrassingly weak?
There's a sensible balance somewhere, but the over-riding problem that the counties won't vote themselves out of existence means a only smaller pool of teams in England would have the most benefit for everyone.
