Durham target Hundred team with Ben Stokes despite questions over tournament expansion
Durham are eager to host a Hundred team and believes star player Ben Stokes would be keen to lead the charge, but they acknowledge that the expansion of the tournament may not happen until 2029.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is currently in negotiations with private investors who have committed £520 million to the competition.
However, key details, including the possibility of expanding beyond the existing eight teams, remain unresolved.
Durham have long been vocal about their desire to join the Hundred and bring the fast-paced format to their home ground, the Riverside.
While the ECB's director of business operations, Vikram Banerjee, has expressed support for expansion, some potential investors are hesitant about the impact on future broadcast revenues.
Despite the uncertainty, Durham chief executive Tim Bostock remains optimistic. He believes the Hundred will eventually come to the north east, with Stokes as a potential figurehead, but concedes that expansion may be tied to the current broadcast rights deal, which runs until 2028.
'The way the sales have gone, with the money that has been committed, the clear message is they are unlikely to expand before the end of the broadcast deal,' Bostock told the PA news agency.
'I think there will be expansion and when that day comes we are ready. In terms of facilities, demographics, having an international stadium, likely investment, putting a team together, we are ready to go.
'Look at the quality of players we produce for England. We have high-profile players who may be interested in fronting up a Durham franchise…we've got the England captain here.
'I'm sure at some stage Ben would jump at the chance at being the face of it, definitely. All of that works. It's all about timing, but I don't see a better candidate than us.'
Stokes has been aligned to the Headingley-based Northern Superchargers since the Hundred launched but has played only a handful of games. He opted out of this year's edition in a bid to manage his fitness and therefore was not retained.
Bostock believes adding a ninth team would be a relatively straightforward change and could be done without adding to the tournament's overall footprint.
At present teams play their nearest geographical rivals home and away and every other side once. Yet he also expects an expanded fixture list to be on the agenda sooner rather than later as investors seek to maximise value.
'Nine is actually a better number than eight, everyone plays each other once, so it can be done quite easily,' he said.
'But they might decide there is a demand for more games. I don't think they'll be happy with just four home matches.
'The traditional county watcher might fear for the 27 days (the competition's current window). It would be naive to think they won't get more days, but I don't think it will ever be an IPL situation of two or three months.
'There are two ways to increase the matches, more games between themselves or bring more teams in. I think it will organically happen.'
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