The biggest names in cricket, from Sachin Tendulkar to Ricky Ponting and Shane Warne, would all be allowed to play together on the same English county team under plans being drawn up by authorities to guard against a possible takeover of the game by rebel businessmen.

The English counties have traditionally kept tight restrictions on the use of such stars in order to develop local players for the England team, and each county can now play only one officially designated foreigner at a time.