The year is 2013 and England are preparing to defend the Ashes. That is the appetiser for the new season. Once the three-match series is over, we get to the business end of the summer as Pepsi London defend the Global Twenty20 Trophy against Coca-Cola Sydney. Needless to say, the stars of England and Australia will be cleared to play.

All right, there is exaggeration here for effect. The Ashes may well stretch to five matches. Otherwise, this prediction may prove to be more accurate than many dare to imagine. Galvanised by a “rebel” league, India has seized 20-over cricket and when an Indian administrator sneezes, the ECB catches the cold.

It was always naive to think that the world's richest market for cricket would not be smitten by its most vibrant form. English caution - conservatism - has been costly. Shires worried about killing the goose that lay their golden egg. The bird has flown to the East and begun to deliver bigger nuggets.

For the ECB, the emergence of the Indian Premier League (IPL) presents a challenge on two fronts. Early evidence suggests a struggle on both, with an unsustainable stance of blocking centrally contracted players who wish to cash in and the most timid of recommendations to the domestic structure.

Details leaked from the review group charged to beef up Twenty20 are depressing. One suggestion is to reinvent the early-season Benson & Hedges Cup, with Minor Counties and Combined Universities joining the first-class sides. The IPL believes that teams of stars are the way forward; we prefer semi-professionals and undergraduates.

Later in the season, the group suggests another 20-over competition, this time with teams from Australia, India and South Africa to join the 18 counties. It looks a little more exciting but is still embarrassingly unimaginative, to the point where larger counties with Test-match grounds are sure to feel alarmed.

Equally worrying is the proposed 2010 date for any changes. Things are moving quickly elsewhere, but the ECB is hamstrung by a television deal that runs until the end of the 2009 season. Allowing three overseas players per side is fine, but structural changes cannot be made without approval from broadcasters and sponsors.

According to Paul Sheldon, the Surrey chief executive: “To wait until 2010 will be a very, very reactive way of dealing with this. I feel that we have to be much more aggressive.” As revealed in The Times on Saturday, Surrey are already considering the potential for staging an IPL-related game this season.

For English cricket to compete with India, it has to consider breaking new ground. For this event only, it means smashing perhaps its most sacred of cows, the 18-county system. The present championship can remain the breeding ground for Test cricketers, but a glamorous English Premier League needs its talent spread thick.

Up to eight sponsored regional teams branded as cities at international-standard grounds could be packed with the best players in the world, England players included. The timing of our summer bestows a huge advantage. Why have we always had so many overseas players? First and foremost, because they are available.

The package would be financed by broadcasters from India, which, in turn, would bring money from sponsors. And the futures of the smaller counties, the Leicestershires of this world, would be safeguarded by a share of this income, perhaps playing a second-tier competition to run concurrently and satisfy local demand.

Sheldon believes that franchises would be the best way to exploit the opportunity. He said: “You can think that I would say that, wouldn't I? We have a fantastic ground in the middle of London, which gives us huge geographical advantages. But I do not think you can lower this to the lowest common denominator.”

The danger is that if the richest counties are not satisfied with the ECB, then they will find a way of going it alone. According to a BBC poll last week, the majority of chief executives does not expect a breakaway league, but still believes that steps should be taken to ensure that any such desire is nipped in the bud.

On an individual level, it seems inevitable that England players will soon feature in the IPL. As well as money, there is the simple allure of being part of a world showcase. The IPL wants Kevin Pietersen. As long as there is no clash of dates, why should he not be able to capitalise without his commitment being questioned?

Geoff Miller, the national selector, said yesterday that he wants England players to arrive for matches determined and focused. That requires an atmosphere of mutual trust between employer and employee. A blanket block is sure to erode any relationship and may force more experienced players to consider where their future lies.

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