The Hundred is worth 'a lot more' than £400m, says ECB chair Richard Thompson

There are 8 city-based teams successful The Hundred

The Hundred is worthy a "lot more" than £400m, according to England and Wales Cricket Board seat Richard Thompson.

"The Hundred has created an atrocious batch of involvement successful backstage equity markets," Thompson told Test Match Special.

"Lucknow Super Giants successful the IPL sold for astir $1bn, truthful I would accidental a tourney is worthy a batch more."

The Hundred, the 100-ball tourney for 8 men's and women's teams, is lone 2 years old.

Both the contention and the teams are owned by the ECB and Thompson said it is "too soon" to contemplate a sale.

"We've got a agelong mode to spell earlier we bash something," helium said. "We volition not merchantability the crippled short.

"The ECB needs to deliberation precise agelong and hard if we were to merchantability 4 oregon 5 weeks of the summertime to a 3rd party. That would beryllium a immense determination for america to take."

The Hundred has been a divisive beingness successful the English game, with critics saying it detracts from region cricket and monopolises the highest period of August.

Chair Thompson and incoming ECB main enforcement Richard Gould some opposed The Hundred erstwhile they were successful the aforesaid positions astatine Surrey.

But Thompson present concedes helium has been converted by The Hundred's scope and interaction connected the women's game. He besides says the Bridgepoint connection shows its worth.

"We person to instrumentality a contention similar this precise seriously," helium said.

"There is simply a feeding frenzy astir satellite cricket and backstage equity truthful I'm not amazed we had an offer."

Thompson would not corroborate the worth of the bid, which helium described arsenic "unsolicited".

"It shows the involvement that The Hundred and English cricket is generating truthful I would expect much unsolicited offers arsenic well," helium said.