The ECB chief executive continues to throw his weight behind the 100-ball competition, insisting his place in the English summer is safe, while also committing to increased salaries
The Hundred remains a key part of the ECB's long-term strategy with chief executive Richard Gould targetting increased salaries to compete with franchise and international cricket.
In April, The Cricketer reported that discussions were underway regarding the competition's future following a review of ECB finances which revealed losses of £58.5 million.
Gould was an opponent of the competition during his stint as Surrey CEO but has appeared to come around to it since returning to English cricket at the end of January.
Four months on, Gould is now singing The Hundred's praises and despite reports to the contrary, the tournament looks as safe as ever.
"You see the competition that we're in globally now," he told the Final Word podcast. "Every country needs to have a super, primetime white ball domestic comp.
Richard Thompson (left) and Richard Gould (right) are the new men at the helm at the ECB (PHILIP TOSCANO/AFP via Getty Images)
"We have invested very heavily in the Hundred over a number of years, both emotionally and financially. We need to make it bigger and better. We also have the Blast which we need to make bigger and better.
"We are not going to take The Hundred out. We are going to make it bigger and better. We are going to make the whole of cricket, bigger and better. That is our aim.
"We want to do it in a really collaborative fashion where everybody feels they have a role, they have purpose and they have something to gain from this.
He added: "The level of investment that has gone into The Hundred has delivered really good returns. A different audience, a new audience. The broadcasters really enjoy it, BBC have put it on free-to-air.
"I am utterly pragmatic. I need to deal with what is in front of me and in front of the game and we will do that but we will do that in a collaborative manner, bringing people along with us."
"Everybody around the world, in the cricketing world, has heard of The Hundred. That's a good thing"
In the June edition of The Cricketer Magazine, ECB chair Richard Thompson said "we're signed up with the Hundred until 2028", referring to the new broadcast deal stuck with Sky Sports 11 months ago.
Among the proposals reportedly being considered are changing the T20 Blast to a two-division tournament incorporating promotion and relegation, and an FA Cup-style knockout involving all 18-first-class counties and the National Counties, which would be played as a T20 and replace the men's Hundred.
But Gould says shifting from the 100-ball format is not on the table.
"The format is not something that is on my agenda, in this regard, because Sky have been really supportive in driving it forward," he added. "It's given us that point of difference.
"Everybody around the world, in the cricketing world, has heard of The Hundred. That's a good thing. That's a good thing - we like debate.
Tom Abell is in the top price band for the 2023 competition (Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
"When you look at sport, more than 50 per cent of the coverage that we get is about the politics and the machinations of the sport rather than the sport itself. That's a good thing too - as long as people are talking about the game, I'm pretty happy."
One of the more significant gaps between The Hundred and other overseas limited-overs is the salaries available for players.
Women's salary bands range from £7,500 to £31,250, with men paid between £30,000 and £125,000. Gould acknowledges The Hundred must move with the times.
"Salaries will need to go up not only for The Hundred but for international cricket," he explained.
"You can see there is a global marketplace. The problem with the ECB is we have so many mouths to feed whereas the franchise tournaments can take the cream off the top, they don't get charged for the players, they are very efficient models of getting money back into the players' pockets but they are not funding the pathway."
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