County players set for talks with ECB over controversial 100-ball format

There have been pockets of support, with England's limited-overs captain Eoin Morgan and World Cup-winning women's skipper Heather Knight both positive and other senior internationals such as Alastair Cook and Stuart Broad offering cautiously optimistic takes.

While Morgan, Knight and PCA chairman Daryl Mitchell, the Worcestershire batsman, were all involved in early consultations with the governing body there is understood to be disappointment on the circuit at a lack of wider consultation before the public announcement.

Mitchell has described himself as "open-minded" but the PCA also noted "a lack of information and clarity regarding the new tournament".

Many concerns have been kept behind closed doors, but Middlesex spinner Ollie Rayner taken to social media on several occasions to vent his scepticism.

Rayner will not be at Edgbaston due to a prior sponsorship engagement but hopes others make their feelings known.

Writing on Twitter last week, he said: "For all who are concerned about the future of domestic cricket and the plan to bring in 100-ball game, speak up, big meeting 8th of May, from what I hear on the circuit, many players share similar views as myself."

He had earlier branded the new format a "great hoax", adding "I certainly don't think I'm the only one that thinks the world is going mad!"

Nottinghamshire's Chris Nash has also queried 100-ball cricket not mirroring any international format, while Durham's player representative Chris Rushworth dismissively deemed the blueprint "a load of b*******."