Luke Wright believes a proposed city-based Twenty20 competition would be a ‘game-changer’ for cricket in England – after Sussex voted to support its creation.

The ECB is ready to push forward with plans for an eight team tournament to be launched in 2020 if it receives the backing of the 18 first class counties and minor counties at the end of the month.

Sussex were initially one of only three counties to oppose the move but have since had their fears over the impact on smaller clubs eased by the ECB with chief executive Rob Andrew confirming yesterday the board had voted in favour.

Wright has played for Melbourne Stars in Australia’s hugely successful Big Bash League for the last six years and believes a similar tournament in England would be a big step forward for the game in general.

He said: “My first year with the Stars was the first season of the Big Bash and there were a lot of similar grumblings about it in Australia. People where saying ‘is it the right thing to do?’ and wanted to keep the teams as Victoria or South Australia.

“But the Big Bash has become a huge success. Yes it is a different place with a different climate but we’ve got to give it a go over here.

“The standard of the competition is going to be fantastic and I’m sure if we put the product there people will watch it. I think it is exciting personally and is a competition I’d love to play in.

“Something needs to change so I think we have got to give it a go. I know people are not so sure but it could be the making of the game in this country.”

Wright understands the concerns that a new competition will devalue the 18-team NatWest T20 Blast which will be shifted to earlier in the season to make room in the calendar.

But the Sussex skipper is confident crowds will still flock to Hove to watch the Sharks and feels the introduction of a city-based tournament could actually improve the Blast with the ECB promising counties an extra £1.3million if they vote to go ahead.

Wright added: “If it financially secures county cricket going forward that is a good thing. We’re lucky at Sussex that we don’t have any debt but a lot of clubs could find it very difficult to keep going without the extra money.

“From a Sussex point of view if it puts more money in the coffers to keep the club going for another 200 years it is what we want and the new competition won’t be after the same audience that come to watch Sussex.

“The audience for the Big Bash is 60% different to other cricket in Australia and that is what they have spoken about in England. The number of women and children watching the Big Bash is huge.

“We have 10,000 members for the Stars just for T20 which is massive and when we go to season launches or autograph sessions there are so many wives and kids who say they have never watched cricket before the introduction of the Big Bash so it is great for the game.

“If it was going to be played at the same time as the Blast then it might have a detrimental affect on that competition but the fact clubs will have more money (from the £1.3m) means they will be able to afford the big overseas stars and those players are going to want to come over to get ready for the other competition.”