Ben Stokes against possible changes to County Championship schedule

Ben Stokes has voiced his opposition to any changes in the County Championship schedule, making clear his preference for the 14-game system being retained.

The format of the Championship is currently being discussed by the England & Wales Cricket Board’s High Performance Review, with a cut in the volume of first-class cricket on the table. Each first-class county plays 14 Championship games per season, but a reduction to 10 or 12 games has been mooted.

Stokes, England’s Test skipper, made clear his opposition to any such a cut. In a post on Twitter, quoting a tweet about a survey which found that 97 per cent of respondents opposed a cut to the Championship schedule, Stokes wrote: “Ab so bloody lutely”. He emphasised his views by adding two clapping emojis.

Representatives from all 18 First-Class counties met with the ECB for an update on the High Performance Review and future domestic schedule on Wednesday, though no decisions about the High Performance Review have yet been made. But a reduction in the overall volume of county cricket is likely to be recommended.

Those involved with the High Performance review plan to develop a series of options for the future structure of English cricket, which will then be discussed with the wider game over the coming months.

“I make no apology for wanting to be bold,” Andrew Strauss, the Chair of the ECB's Performance Cricket Committee, wrote in May. “We’re prepared to question everything we’re currently doing and ask: ‘Is there a better way of doing it?’

“I’m very keen to get to a situation where solid proposals are voted on by the game in September, to give time for counties and the England set-up to prepare for the 2023 season and beyond.”