Sussex chairman Jim May believes the changes to the domestic schedule could see two counties go bust.

From next year there will be ten rather than 16 Twenty20 games.

A decision to reduce the number of one-day matches has been deferred until next month but one option is a reduction to eight CB40 games instead of the current 12. The County Championship will remain at 16 matches with two divisions of nine.

Potentially, Sussex will play five fewer lucrative limited-overs home games and although they and counties like Essex and Somerset have been promised compensation for loss of earnings May fears for the future of poorer counties.

He said: “Sussex are in reasonable shape but I think that some clubs are sleepwalking to financial disaster. Fifteen of the 18 counties made losses last year and without one-day pay-days I can foresee two counties going to the wall and we’ll end up with 14 Championship games, which a lot of people wanted, through natural wastage.”

The ECB considered the views of several stakeholders, including county members, during a lengthy consultation process before effectively deciding to revert back to the same schedule used as recently as 2008 when there were 16 one-day games and ten Twenty20.

“I feel we have gone back to the future,” said May. “And I don’t necessarily think this is the end of it. We haven’t got a good track record of finding a permanent structure for English cricket.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if we had a successful Twenty20 this summer, when there won’t be the distraction of the football World Cup, there is another re-think.

“I am pleased there is going to be a financial package for counties who will lose out financially from this. We haven’t got the full details so it is best to reserve judgement but I understand it would be a transitional arrangement for a couple of years.

“I’m pretty disappointed but not surprised by what has been decided.

“Team England wanted a schedule which incorporated more rest and recovery periods for players and I’m sure our members are happy that there will still be 16 Championship games and more of a rhythm to the season but going down from 14 to nine one-day matches is going to have a considerable financial effect.”

Meanwhile, no fewer than eight players will be missing when Sussex head to Dubai today to step up their pre-season preparations in the Pro Arch tournament.

As well as England’s World Cup trio Matt Prior, Luke Wright and skipper Mike Yardy they are without Ed Joyce, who has only just returned from Ireland’s World Cup adventure, Murray Goodwin, Rana Naved and winter signings Lou Vincent and Kirk Wernars.

It will mean plenty of opportunity for Sussex’s less experienced players as they take on Durham over three-days before a weekend of t20 action next week.

Coach Mark Robinson said: “You could say that three-quarters of our likely first team is not going which means the players going will have to be adaptable.

“We haven’t gone yet to Abu Dhabi with a full-strength squad so it is nothing new but it will mean opportunities for everyone. We were back outdoors in the nets for the first time this week and playing games in Dubai is another step forward.”

Sussex will have two of their winter signings – former Kent and England bowler Amjad Khan and Pakistani left-armer Naveed Arif – will be in the desert.

Robinson added: “Amjad can’t wait to get involved, in fact he’s been a pain in the backside because he has been nagging me to go outside and bowl in the nets for days and asking about how much he will bowl in Dubai. It is music to my ears when I hear that from a senior player.”

Sussex return to the UK on April 2, six days before they start their Championship campaign at Liverpool against Lancashire.