London

The England and Wales Cricket Board on Tuesday acknowledged discussions with its Indian counterpart over a proposed four-nation tournament, which is seen as an attempt to stop the ICC from hosting a major event every year.

The annual tournament, proposed by the BCCI, will involve the "big three" -- India, England and Australia -- besides a fourth team.

"We meet regularly with other leaders from the major cricketing nations to share learnings and discuss topics that impact our sport," the ECB said in a statement given to 'ESPNcricinfo'.

"A four-nation tournament was raised at a meeting with the BCCI in December and we are open to discussions with other ICC members to see if this concept can develop."

The proposed event, to be hosted by the "big three" on rotational basis from 2021, has divided opinions as it is likely to increase revenue of the boards involved. The ICC doesn't approve tournaments involving more than three teams, which are not part of its own multi-lateral roster.

BCCI president Sourav Ganguly has already spoken about the tournament, the ECB too has acknowledged the discussion that took place earlier this month but Cricket Australia is yet to comment on the subject.

If the plan goes through, it will make the calendar more crowded, something Australia head coach Justin Langer alluded to on Tuesday.

"It is. We all understand the schedule in world cricket is really tight, so I am sure there will be lots of negotiation and there are people, that's their role to negotiate and get that right. But we all know it is a tight schedule," Langer was quoted as saying in the Australia media.

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