The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is in the process of transitioning ‘The Hundred’ tournament from its unique format to a more traditional T20 structure. As reported by The Observer, the change will involve reverting to the standard six-ball over format used in T20 cricket, departing from ‘The Hundred’s’ format of 100 balls per innings split into sets of 5 or 10 balls.
This shift is anticipated to coincide with the next cycle of television rights in 2029. Originally introduced in 2018, ‘The Hundred’ aimed to innovate by introducing a condensed format with a unique set of rules.
The decision to move towards a T20 format comes as the ECB prepares to sell its ownership stakes in the eight franchises associated with ‘The Hundred’. However, any alterations to the tournament structure will necessitate approval from the ECB’s broadcast partner, Sky Sports. Sky Sports, having committed £375 million to ‘The Hundred’ over the initial nine seasons until 2028, has shown reluctance towards changing the established plan at this stage.
ECB is considering keeping the Hundred name despite switching to the T20 format
Despite considering the switching of formats, the ECB is planning to keep the tournament’s name and it might be enough to win its backing in an agreement.
“We have no plans to abandon the Hundred. Our plan is to grow the competition and build on its success, whatever the format,” a reliable source who is involved in the discussions was quoted as saying by The Guardian.
The source further added that T20 is a global format that will also be an Olympic sport in Los Angeles in the year 2028. Thus, it was important to switch to this format.
“Hundred is a well-known cricketing term so keeping the competition’s name will not be a problem. It’s a really powerful brand that has attracted interest from all over the world. But T20 is the global format and will be an Olympic sport from 2028 so we have to explore that option,” the source added.
When the Hundred was announced in 2018, the ECB faced significant criticism from cricket enthusiasts who felt it lacked innovation and was too similar to the existing T20 format. After a year-long delay due to Covid-19, the tournament finally launched in 2021.
Despite attracting new advertisers and audiences, the Hundred has not achieved global popularity as expected. However, the Women’s Hundred has garnered considerable attention worldwide and achieved moderate success.
The ECB’s ambition to include the Hundred as an Olympic sport in the 2028 Los Angeles Games has proven impractical and unattainable.
ECB unable to attract Indian broadcasters for the Hundred
The ECB’s challenge in drawing interest from Indian players and broadcasters remains a significant hurdle in expanding the global appeal of ‘The Hundred’. Given India’s immense cricket market, attracting Indian audiences could potentially open doors to substantial external investments.
The proposal to shift back to a T20 format was initially discussed by the ECB with county cricket boards last year. This idea has now evolved into a concrete strategy aimed at enhancing the appeal of ‘The Hundred’ to potential investors. As part of this strategy, the ECB intends to transfer a 51% ownership stake in each franchise to county cricket boards by the end of the season, beginning with a notable double-header featuring the Oval Invincibles and Birmingham Phoenix.
This strategic move reflects the ECB’s proactive approach to bolstering the tournament’s financial viability and broadening its commercial appeal. By aligning with the proven success and familiarity of T20 cricket, the ECB aims to attract greater interest and investment into ‘The Hundred’ moving forward.
