Phil Tufnell in staunch defence of The Hundred after tournament blamed for Ashes disaster

Phil Tufnell has staunchly defended The Hundred despite many pundits arguing the new tournament impact contributed to England's dismal Ashes showing.

The former spinner, who in April and May will be joined by Jonathan Agnew in hosting 20 live Test Match Special [TMS] tour events, called the new initiative "a revelation" after it captivated the public last summer.

Tufnell, 55, played 42 Test matches and 20 ODIs for England, taking 140 international wickets. He also became a legendary figure at Middlesex - where he played more than 300 first-class games and claimed over a 1000 scalps during a 16-year stint.

During the tour, Tufnell and Agnew are due to supply anecdotes from their own careers and regale amusing stories, while audiences will also be treated to previously unseen behind the scenes footage of the iconic radio programme.

However, 'The Cat' readily accepts that the game has now changed considerably since his retirement in 2002, with the introduction of T20 cricket, and subsequently The Hundred, prompting increased scoring rates and innovative techniques in white-ball cricket.

Inevitably, it's meant Tufnell has regularly found himself analysing formats that he can't associate with from his own career, but in an interview with The Mirror, lauded the progression.

"I love it," he declared. "I love embracing all the change. I'm a big fan of the T20 and I'm a big fan of The Hundred - I think that's been a revelation.

"The crowds, the people that came in, the colours, the smoke, the dancing and what have you. I thought it was a wonderful thing so when you've not played in it yourself, you're almost as excited as everyone else in a funny way.

"The skills, the demands, and plans you have to put into place are