England and Warwickshire batsman Ian Bell has little doubt in his mind about how well a domestic franchise-based Twenty20 competition would work in the country.
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Bell is one of many big names in favour of the format, with the likes of Kevin Pietersen and Tim Bresnan previously adding their voices.
Even England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chairman Colin Graves had insisted “we can’t ignore” the merits of a tournament that ends up mirroring the Indian Premier League and Australia’s Big Bash League.
HIGHLIGHTS Watch @Ian_Bell bash the ball to all parts on his way to becoming @BearsT20‘s highest scorer. #T20Blast https://t.co/61zlXw9xGu
— NatWest T20 Blast (@NatWestT20Blast) June 7, 2015
Coincidentally, Bell smashed 90 off 65 deliveries in his return to the domestic scene this summer, as defending champions Birmingham Bears beat Durham Jets by seven wickets in the NatWest T20 Blast on Saturday.
The Blast is England’s premier T20 tournament, but when asked if franchises could be the way forward, Bell said: “Obviously, it needs to be looked at doesn’t it?
“The quality, the window of opportunity to have a brilliant Twenty20 in this country. If you see the success of the Big Bash, the success of the IPL, there’s no doubt that it could work unbelievably well in this country – no doubt.”
In what will be a gruelling Ashes summer, T20 may well provide a helping hand for Bell at the moment, as his innings for the Bears – the highest in the format for the county – came following a dip in form with England.
The 33-year-old clocked a century against West Indies in the first Test in Antigua, but followed it up with single figure scores, including a pair in Barbados, and then scored just 43 over four innings against New Zealand in the recent series.
