Twenty20 franchise proposal splits furious Counties

The report was compiled by two members of the ECB management board, Surrey chairman David Stewart and MCC chief executive Keith Bradshaw, with assistance from Hampshire and Lancashire.

A lucrative annual competition in June featuring leading overseas players would be staged at the nine Test grounds - Lord's, The Oval, the Rose Bowl, the Swalec Stadium in Cardiff, Edgbaston, Trent Bridge, Headingley, Old Trafford and the Riverside.

Star attraction: Flintoff (centre) would be much sought-after

It is claimed each franchise would stand to pick up £7million a year, with franchises allocated a marquee 'local' player, such as Andrew Flintoff or Kevin Pietersen, and a budget of £1.5m, then remaining players acquired from a central pool, with a fixed number of foreign stars and youngsters.

It is much like the Indian Premier League blueprint, but every county wants a piece of the Twenty20 pie. The proposals sent shockwaves through the shires yesterday, with the smaller counties alarmed at the prospect of being frozen out of the action despite assurances about financial rewards being shared around.

Derbyshire chief executive Tom Sears said: 'We would be completely against this. We had been told by the ECB that they are looking at an EPL with 18 first-class teams included.

'Then I hear that two of the ECB management board have signed this document, which is really worrying.

'It would completely change the landscape. We would see the rich getting richer and the have-nots falling further behind. Money would go to the owners and a bit to the counties who own category A grounds, and only a tiny fraction would dribble down.

'The only way it could work for a smaller county like Derbyshire is if the sum we received was astronomical. If it is not, then we would never consider it.'

Worcester chief executive Mark Newton was angered that the proposals had not come to light in meetings this week.

'This is a huge surprise,' he said. 'At a chief executive's meeting on Wednesday there was an agreement that any competition would be based on 18 counties.

'We have been told the TV companies love the idea of a competition based on the 18 counties because we are creating something that already has an affinity. We have been told that the TV companies aren't interested in city-based cricket.

Andrew Flintoff of Lancashire celebrates taking the wicket of Adam Voges during the Twenty20 Cup match against Nottinghamshire at Old Trafford

We have been with these counties (Surrey, Lancashire and Hampshire) twice in the last week talking about the future of Twenty20. I can't believe people would sit there and not say anything about this.

'I don't enjoy situations where you have to question people's integrity. Unfortunately, that is the situation we are in.'

Some of the 'haves' are as disturbed by the proposals as the 'have-nots'. Notts director of cricket Mick Newell said: 'I'm not a big fan of the franchise idea. I don't see why we can't do something good with Twenty20 cricket with all 18 counties. I think there is a huge danger of being greedy here.'

While the report will be presented to the ECB board later this month, the governing body are being invited to act as partners rather than masters, with 'a role to play in the governance' of the competition.

But Bradshaw moved to allay talk of a breakaway as well as fears among the smaller counties. 'Financially, all the counties will gain considerably,' he said. 'County cricket has to stay.

'This is not about taking control away from the ECB.' ECB chairman Giles Clarke tried to pour cold water on the proposals by expressing his personal opposition to a ninefranchise system.

He said: 'I'm firmly in favour of 18 counties playing matches at their own grounds. I don't see why any counties should be concerned. Their chairman is not remotely interested in a reduction to nine teams.

'We are clear that the 18-county structure is very important. History and tradition in our game are things only a fool would break asunder.'

Yorkshire confirmed yesterday that they are appealing against the ECB's decision to throw them out of the Twenty20 Cup for fielding an ineligible player, Azeem Rafiq.