Kevin Pietersen calls for franchises in English T20 cricket

Former England batsmen Kevin Pietersen and Michael Carberry insist English Twenty20 should adopt the franchise system used in India and Australia.

Both played in this year's Australian Big Bash League, where there are eight city franchises instead of state teams who contest longer forms of the game.

"The franchise system works, everybody has made it work, the whole world has gone that way," Pietersen said.

"Why can't they do it in England? It's strange."

The Big Bash League spans six weeks, with a match almost every day, while England's T20 Blast, featuring all 18 county sides, lasted over three months in 2014 and will do so again this year.

County cricket is also reportedly set to lower salary caps, with sides encouraged to bring through players from academy ranks.

But Pietersen said: "What's frustrating is they say they want to help home-grown players. The best way to make them become better is to play against better players.

"All the muppets who are on £18,000 or £15,000 - either you become better or you go and do something else.

"The best players would play against each other, week in week out. That's how you become better. You don't do that by reducing salary caps."