Cricket teams could become 12-a-side under radical proposals for the new 100-ball competition being considered by the England & Wales Cricket Board.

Under the shock plan each side would select a team of 12 but only 11 would be permitted to bat and field. That means one player would be picked purely as a specialist batsman and not take the field during the opposition’s innings, with a specialist bowler or fielder not featuring when his own side were batting.

The proposal would further differentiate the new tournament from the T20 Blast and existing leagues around the world but would contravene one of cricket’s most fundamental tenets, that matches take place between teams of 11, and would be a seismic change to the game.

The concept will shock the cricket fraternity and, following on from last week’s confirmation that all overs will be five balls rather than six, is likely to horrify traditionalists.

If the ECB goes through with the proposals, it would not require any further approval from the MCC, who have said that the ECB is free to devise its own playing regulations for the competition.

The intention is that switching to a 12-a-side format will increase standards, because the worst batsman and fielder on each team will no longer be required. A move to 12-a-side would encourage teams to select more specialists; for instance, it would be easier for each team to pick five specialist bowlers without jeopardising their batting strength.