England all-rounder Moeen Ali believes postponing the inaugural season of the Hundred is the only viable option left to cricket chiefs, amid the uncertainty around the rest of the sport’s summer schedule.
The England and Wales Cricket Board are holding talks on Wednesday to discuss the future of the Hundred — a meeting which is expected to run well into the evening, after which cricket’s newest format looks likely to be put on hold for 12 months.
Moeen said: “It’s far better for the Hundred to be delayed. At the end of the day, we want it to be played with the best players from around the world available.
“It makes more sense that way. It’s just too much to squeeze into the last couple of months of the season. Getting the Hundred in would be hard work. It’s such a big deal for us in this country. We want it to be done when everything is ready.”
The ECB announced last week that the first-class season, which had been initially postponed until May 28, would now not start until July 1 at the earliest, leading to the first nine rounds of County Championship matches being cancelled.
They also said that the T20 Blast would be a priority to squeeze in as late as possible on the calendar. With those domestic games, as well as England’s rescheduled international commitments, it has made it increasingly impossible to fit the inaugural Hundred into the 2020 summer season.
The postponement of the tournament is expected to cost the ECB millions in payments already guaranteed to the counties, as well as potentially a percentage of player contracts.
