The Hundred Winners 2025 (Source: @thehundred/X.com)
Just two days after the conclusion of The Hundred 2025, the England team appeared in a white-ball series against South Africa. Speaking on the concerns, the ECB (England Cricket Board) chairman, Richard Thompson, gave his verdict on this glaring issue.
Thompson Believes Short Turnaround A Temporary Issue
Speaking during an interaction with Sky Sports, Richard Thompson, who is the ECB chairman, has expressed his concern over the fact that the England team had to appear in a game right after the conclusion of The Hundred, as the schedule was totally crammed, which could cause player fatigue and burnout, as they didn't have a better chance to relax before the intense white-ball series against the Proteas men.
In fact, not just this year, even in the year 2026, The Hundred will have a tight schedule, considering the Indian team will play an ODI series right before The Hundred starts, and just three days following the conclusion of the next season, the Pakistan team will be engaged in a Test series.
However, while mentioning the concern, Thompson said that for now, there is no resolution to it, considering they want all their English players to participate in The Hundred alongside featuring for the side in international cricket, which is why they will have to adhere to the current situation, as it is likely to persist for the next few years as well.
"There are no easy answers, but the reality is we can't have our cake and eat it. We want England players to play. This is our premium white-ball competition, and we want England players to play in it. What we have to do is find a way of ensuring the schedule before and after the tournament [is better]. Take this year: the gap was a day or two days… That can't be right," Thompson said on Sky Sports.
When further mentioning the deal, he was optimistic about the fact that this deal, which runs until 2028, will likely not change anything about the 100-ball competition. After the conclusion of this deal, which expires in 2028, they can take a closer look at the situation and address the issue, ensuring they have a slightly better schedule compared to the current one when the new papers are signed.
However, he was still certain that this was just a short-term issue, as it would be addressed in the new cycle.
"We've done this deal in the middle of a rights schedule. Come '28, when we then cut the next deal for the next four years, we can cut this in a different way. We might have a short-term issue here, but we can overcome that," he added.
The Hundred To Be Played In 100-Ball Format Only, Reveals Thompson
Another issue he discussed is the one concerning the new owners and the original host counties, specifically the format that the ECB will likely proceed with, given the current situation. Few reports have previously mentioned that the Hundred will switch to a T20 format from next year.
However, Thompson was clear about the idea that, at least until next year, there won't be any change in the format, as they would like to stick to the 100 balls, considering the host broadcasters SKY have paid for the 100 and not for the T20 format, which is why they would like to continue with it throughout the current rights deal.
"I can categorically tell you it's 100 balls next year. I don't think anything will change in this rights cycle. Sky have bought 100 [balls a side]. Sky are not going to want to change that. It's up to the owners and the ECB to decide what that might be in the future," he further said.
Thompson also lamented the fact that, with investors in the mix, they want the Hundred to be the best competition in the world, challenging and competing with the IPL (Indian Premier League), as they want all their players to participate.
"This is not English cricket selling off the family silver. This is English cricket bringing in investors to enable us to have a tournament that could challenge the IPL," Thompson signed off.
The Hundred men's competition this year ended in favour of the Oval Invincibles men, while the Northern Superchargers women became the women's champions, as they lifted the trophy. However, just a few days later, England men took part in a three-match ODI series against the Proteas, which they lost 2-1. Considering this, there has been quite an uproar, which Thompson addressed.
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