County cricket: Compensation payment scheme for young players outlined by ECB

The England and Wales Cricket Board is intending to launch a compensation payment scheme to remunerate the poorer counties for the loss of academy-bred players to bigger clubs.

"If people leave, we need to be properly remunerated," said Hira.

"One of the ECB committees I've sat on has been looking at a Development Compensation Payments scheme."

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He added: "One of the things in the past, when we've perhaps not paid players enough, or not invested in player welfare, and all the other issues that cause people to leave, is that we've developed talent and they've moved on.

"The recommendations, while approved, have yet to be formally implemented but it seems that our interests ought to be better protected going forward

"At the very least there seems to be genuine recognition that those counties who produce England qualified players, as well as we do, ought to be properly remunerated through a compensation system should players move on.

"We would expect this to be implemented in time for the 2020 season," he told Worcestershire's official website.

The desire for Division One cricket

Worcestershire, who lost Tom Kohler-Cadmore to Yorkshire in midsummer in 2017, were again hit at the end of last season by the loss of Joe Clarke to Nottinghamshire.

Notts have been particularly busy in raiding Division Two players, having also brought in Northamptonshire's England batsman Ben Duckett, Derbyshire opener Ben Slater and Leicestershire's Zak Chappell at the end of last season.

Warwickshire have signed two Gloucestershire seamers for 2019, Craig Miles and Liam Norwell.

And, following their relegation from the Division One in 2016, Durham were hardest hit of all, losing Mark Stoneman and Scott Borthwick to Surrey, as well as Keaton Jennings to Lancashire.