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Vaughan backs planned English T20 tournament

Former England captain Michael Vaughan has given his support after officials has set in motion the procedure that could lead English cricket to have a new eight-team Twenty20 tournament.

England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chiefs, having seen the success of the Indian Premier League and especially Australia's city-based Big Bash Twenty20 tournaments, believe they need something similar to help them reach family audiences and encourage children to become fans of the sport.

However, the proposal has proved hugely controversial as, if enacted, it will mean that for the first time there is a major domestic cricket tournament in England that does not feature all 18 first-class counties.

At present, the ECB's rules state all those clubs must be involved in its competitions -- the first-class County Championship, the 50-over One-Day Cup and the Twenty20 Blast.

But ECB chairman Colin Graves formally asked his board on Tuesday to trigger a change in those regulations in a bid to initiate the process for creating the new tournament.
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