'It would be better as a T20'

Investor believes tournament should change in the future and has a vision to join forces with Washington Freedom

- Ali Martin

Before stakes in the Hundred franchises were sold in February, it was widely assumed that Welsh Fire would be the cheapest off the peg. Based in Cardiff, where bums on seats can be a challenge, and lacking Welsh representation on the field, they have been the butt of a few jokes during the tournament's short history.

But for Sanjay Govil, an IT entrepreneur and the owner of Washington Freedom in Major League Cricket, the appeal of "one team, one country" was too great, likewise the "chemistry" during talks with the top brass at Glamorgan. Though he was on a plane when the auction took place, he secured a 49% stake in Welsh Fire, later raised to 50%, that valued the team at £84.6m, more than Trent Rockets or Birmingham Phoenix.

As Govil outlines his vision for Welsh Fire, the most eyebrow-raising remark arguably comes when discussing the future of the Hundred at large and whether, like a number of observers, he believes the 100-ball format is simply one too many for an overstuffed sport. "I see it the same way," he says.

"The Hundred should at some point follow the T20 format because you already have one-day cricket, you have T20, you have Test cricket, right? And just having one more variation, which is off from any other strategy...from a longer-term perspective, it would just be better as a T20. But that is something for the future. And [the counties] already have a T20 tournament."