Cricket: Format to stay for now

Photo / Mark Mitchell

New Zealand Cricket has no plans to follow its Australian counterparts and tamper with its domestic 50-over competition.

The heat is going on the longest limited-overs version of the game worldwide.

England and South Africa have trimmed 10 overs off it for domestic purposes and Cricket Australia are trialling a 40-over game split into two innings of 20 overs per team next summer, with wickets lost carrying over from one innings to the next.

It is a pointer towards what the future holds for a format which had its first World Cup in 1975 over 60 overs per innings, is next up in the sub-continent next February and due to be hosted by New Zealand and Australia in 2015.

"We don't have any immediate plans for a change of format," NZC chief executive Justin Vaughan said.

"Some of the information we were presented with at the ICC meeting [in Singapore this week] was interesting. Obviously there's a World Cup in February and we want to prepare optimally for it. But I think it's an issue that needs to be thought through in the medium term."

Vaughan has no concerns over the 2015 edition going ahead and says there is conflicting information about whether 50 overs, or less, is the way forward.

"There is a lot of water to go under the bridge before there is a definitive view of what the format for 2015 is," he said.

"We need to make sure the World Cup is as popular as possible and some countries are taking a view that the public wish to see a change in format. I think it needs pretty careful consideration and a lot of research around that."

And it is almost certain next season's domestic Twenty20 tournament will have two overseas imports per team. Last season it was one only, but Vaughan said there was a solid view that doubling the number would enhance the competition.

He believes having New Zealand's best players available is the top priority, but with a crush of activities next season - New Zealand are due to tour India in November-December, and host Pakistan in a lengthy tour through December-January before heading to the World Cup in early February - it will be tricky.

"We're still trying to find ways to include the Black Caps, obviously not for the full competition," he said.

"The addition of overseas imports is good, but I don't think anywhere near the drawcard for the public as it is to have our leading players playing," Vaughan added.

Last season's champion Twenty20 team, Central Districts, will be in a five-team group at the Champions League in India from September 10-26.

CD have drawn Indian Premier League champions Chennai Super Kings, Wayamba of Sri Lanka, Victoria and the South African team the Warriors.