The Professional Cricketers’ Association has urged county chairs and chief executives to “prioritise the welfare” of players when they vote later this month on the shape of men’s domestic cricket from 2026.
According to PCA survey data, most male county cricketers would prefer the County Championship to drop from 14 to 12 matches a season. A similar reduction for the Vitality Blast also finds favour inside dressing rooms, the union says, mainly to avoid the long runs of consecutive fixtures that currently stretch squads.
A switch to a three-tier, 12/6 conference model sits alongside the call for fewer games. Under that plan two top conferences of six teams would sit above a lower conference of six, with promotion and relegation plus a grand final between the respective conference winners at season’s end.
“It’s not about playing ‘less cricket because they don’t want to – it’s about being able to produce the best cricket on the field as possible’,” said Chris Woakes, the PCA’s England men’s representative. “Welfare is extremely important and not just players but coaches and staff. We need to get the scheduling right to give players the time to prepare, recover and make sure they’re in the best state physically and mentally.
“The game is now played at a greater intensity and faster rate, especially in white-ball cricket. When you’re having to play back-to-back games it’s almost impossible to be at 100%. Having gaps between games and with safe travel is very important.”
The ECB opened its third domestic-structure review in seven years on the eve of this summer. Consultation with counties continues, with a formal vote pencilled in for later in July.
County opinion is split. Surrey and Somerset have publicly argued for sticking at 14 four-day games and returning to an eight-team Division One above a 10-team Division Two. Durham and Lancashire support the new 12/6 conference design, while Middlesex have said they are content with the current two-division, ten-team top tier arrangement.
Concerns about workload are not new, but this year’s PCA survey painted a stark picture: 83% of respondents noted physical worries, while 67% felt the schedule harmed their mental health.
For Olly Hannon-Dalby, the PCA chair, “a change in format of the County Championship to 12 league games is the only reasonable option” and, he believes, would “breathe new life” into the competition. “We are at a critical moment regarding the future of professional cricketers in England and Wales,” he added. “The schedule has always been a contentious issue and we have seen too many reviews with no change but the feeling in recent seasons due to ever-increasing intensity of fixtures has led the game to a position where positive action has to be taken immediately and as an opportunity for the game to grow.”
The fast bowler acknowledged the complexity of reaching consensus, noting that “all counties have their own prerogative”. Even so, he argues that a collective stance on duty of care must come first. Whether a slimmed-down Championship and Blast deliver that care – and satisfy commercial demands – will be answered when the county chairs cast their votes in the coming weeks.
