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Paul Newman on why the country's leading players are to sign for different employers

A major cornerstone of the revolution of English cricket will be approved on May 13 when the country's leading players will be told they are to become full-time England cricketers. But they will still have to serve two masters.

The long-awaited Trangmar Report, which seeks to follow the Australian and South African example in giving total control of Test players to the England management, was circulated to the counties last week and was met with almost unanimous approval.

The document, The Sunday Telegraph can reveal, will be passed at the spring meeting of the First-Class Forum in 11 days' time. It means 15 or 16 England Test players will be contracted to the England and Wales Cricket Board for a six-month period, to be reviewed each March and September, from the spring of 2000 and will be joined by seven or eight one-day specialists for limited overs internationals only.

Those players, however, will remain contracted to their counties throughout each summer and will be paid by them while they are with England, protecting their right to a benefit and maintaining their links with their counties.

In return, the counties will receive compensation and a guarantee that Test players will be allowed to play in all NatWest Trophy and Super Cup matches. They will not, significantly, play in county championship matches unless England want them to, but there is a grey area allowing 'consultation' between England management and counties over key matches. Pressure, no doubt, will remain on England from the counties when titles or relegation are at stake.

Currently, England players are paid £3,150 for each Test and £1,050 for each one-day international. In addition, a team bonus of £19,500 is paid by the Board for each Test win and £200,000 for a series victory. For winter tours, they are paid a basic fee of £5,000 plus a series fee, which this year was £25,000 for the Ashes and £12,500 for the following one-day series.

The Trangmar Report concludes that there has been little or no assessment of the true value of an England player and that a better salary structure needs to be introduced. That will be brought in to coincide with the increase in international cricket next year to seven Tests and 10 one-day internationals per season.

Critics of the new scheme will point out that the players will not receive much more money than they do now and they may even be worse off in bonuses if their county wins the championship. They also appear to be playing just as much cricket as they do now, overlooking the need for 'quality' rest, and still face the prospect of long journeys to play cup matches immediately after finishing a Test.

Yet those who feel the door to the England team will be closed each year to those outside the squad should be appeased by the clause which will allow others to be brought in at any time during the summer on a match-fee basis.

The fact that even the most traditional counties have welcomed the news indicates that they will maintain a hold over their players. Essex secretary Peter Edwards, a trenchant voice against change in the domestic game, spoke for the majority when he said: ``Basically I'm in favour of this as long as counties are properly recompensed. It's the way things have to go. My only slight concern is what happens to the players from the 15 or 16-man squad who are out of form and not playing Test cricket? Will they face a long spell on the sidelines or will counties be told they must play for them even if their replacement is doing well?''

Yorkshire have expressed reservations about losing the likes of Darren Gough full-time for England in the past but they, too, are happy. ``The report was put together in a consultative manner so there shouldn't be any problems,'' said Chris Hassell, their chief executive. ``In Darren's case, he wants to remain a Yorkshire player and we want him to remain a Yorkshire player so we are pleased that will continue to be the case.''

The financial details of the new deal have yet to be finalised as the report feels ``it would be unwise to produce a detailed contract until current and future changes in employment law as applicable to cricket and other leisure activities become clearer later in the summer''. For the good of the England team, however, the news must be a step forward.