Richard Gould, the chief executive of the England and Wales Cricket Board, has insisted making changes to the format of The Hundred is “not something that’s on my agenda”.
The peak summer month of August has been controversially ring-fenced for the third season of The Hundred, which still polarises opinion among cricket fans and is exclusively played in the UK.
Reports last month suggested its structure was being considered and the theory gained traction with the news Sanjay Patel, mastermind and managing director of The Hundred, would leave the ECB in September.
But Gould argued the distinction between the 100-ball competition and its T20 rivals abroad is a selling point and admitted Sky and the BBC, the ECB’s broadcast partners, are champions of The Hundred.
“In a crowded market, it is a point of difference,” Gould said on the Final Word podcast. “The format is not something that’s on my agenda, in this regard.
“Sky have been really supportive in driving it forward, it’s given us that point of difference and everyone in the cricketing world has heard of The Hundred, that’s a good thing.
“As long as people are talking about the game, I’m happy.
“There is always going to be arguments with competition, as to what we do and where we go next but we will be utterly pragmatic and more focused on progressive improvement and we will do it in a collaborative manner where everybody can feel involved.”
According to a report from Worcestershire chair Fanos Hira, the competition made a £9million loss in its first two seasons, a figure disputed by the ECB which says a profit of £11.8m was achieved.
Gould and ECB chair Richard Thompson were once prominent critics when The Hundred was first broached during their stints in identical roles at Surrey but the pair’s stance has softened appreciably.
But while Gould sees substantial upsides to The Hundred, he believes there is room for improvement amid a proliferation of domestic white-ball competitions from all over the world fighting for attention.
“You see the competition we’re in globally now and every country needs to have a super primetime white-ball domestic competition,” Gould said.
“We have invested very heavily in The Hundred over a number of years, both emotionally and financially.
“We are not going to take The Hundred out, we are going to make it bigger and better. We’re going to make the whole of cricket bigger and better, that is our aim.
“I think the level of investment that has gone into The Hundred has delivered really good returns in terms of a new audience. The broadcasters really enjoy it, the BBC have put it on free-to-air.”
Gould, who has already opened the door for multi-year central contracts and increased match fees for England players, accepted salaries in The Hundred may need to go up to compete with its market rivals.
Currently, the highest bracket for the men in The Hundred is £125,000 while for women it is £31,250.
“Salaries will need to go up, not just for The Hundred but also for international cricket because we can see there is a global market for players,” Gould added.
“The difficulty for the ECB and our revenues is we have so many mouths to feed whereas the franchise tournaments can just take the cream off the top, they don’t get charged for the players, they’re very efficient models at getting money back into the players’ pockets but they’re not funding the pathway.
“We’re always going to fund the pathway but having a really strong and healthy pathway is the secret to long-term success, you’ve got to have the players.”
IPL: KKR ensured top-two spot after washout
The first abandoned game of the Indian Premier League ensures Kolkata Knight Riders will finish in the top two and Gujarat Titans’ elimination from playoff contention.
A combination of lightning and rain meant there was not even a toss, with the intense storm ripping banners from the stands, which later wrapped around the floodlights.
KKR had all but ensured a place in the top two due to their dominating net run-rate, but a 19th point of the season confirmed it, leaving them with one game to try and clinch top spot for the first time.
The Titans needed to win their final two games to give themselves any hope of reaching the playoffs, though it would have proven tough for the side with the lowest net run-rate in the league.
It is the first time GT have failed to make the playoffs since they joined the competition before the 2022 season.
Kemar Roach eager to spoil James Anderson's farewell Test: "Hopefully, we'll ruin it..."
West Indies veteran fast bowler Kemar Roach is setting his sights on ruining James Anderson's farewell Test against the West Indies, expressing confidence in his team's ability to secure a historic away series win against England when the three Test-series bowls off on July 10.
The 41-year-old Anderson, England's most successful bowler, having taken 700 Test wickets in 187 Tests during his illustrious career, recently announced that he will hang up his boots after the first Test against the West Indies.
Roach, who on Monday took 6 for 46 in Surrey's County Championship victory over Warwickshire, believes the West Indies seam attack is poised for success. With teammates Jayden Seales and Jason Holder also in fine form for Sussex and Worcestershire respectively, Roach is optimistic about their chances against England.
"It's a very highly talented and skillful group," Roach told ESPN Cricinfo commented at the Kia Oval. "We've not had the best of times over here in England, so it's more about focusing on us - not what they're going to do for him. He's going to get what he deserves. But it's all about us working hard to get what we deserve, which is a series win over here in England."
Reflecting on Anderson's imminent retirement after the Lord's Test, Roach acknowledged the English bowler's greatness while maintaining a competitive spirit. "He's a great fast bowler, probably one of the greatest," Roach remarked. "First Test match against us… hopefully, we ruin it," he added with a laugh.
Roach expressed confidence in the West Indies' current seam attack, highlighting the emergence of young talents like Shamar Joseph and Jayden Seales alongside seasoned campaigner Alzarri Joseph. "With Shamar and Jayden Seales now - Alzarri as well - they have added a lot of X-factor to the bowling unit," Roach noted. "To have three guys like that in the team, a captain to have that to select, for any given day or any given surface [is great]."
Despite approaching his 36th birthday, Roach's recent performances demonstrate his enduring skill and experience. "I've spent the past two weeks working hard on my balance at the crease," Roach shared. "To have those great days... that's what you want," he added, emphasizing the team's readiness for the challenge ahead.
With the West Indies aiming for their first Test series win in England since 1988, Roach and his teammates are determined to put on a strong showing and create a memorable conclusion to Anderson's illustrious Test career.
Roach’s grabs second innings 6-46 as Surrey defeat Warwickshire by nine wickets
A six-wicket haul from Kemar Roach propelled Surrey to a nine-wicket win over Warwickshire on day four of their County Championship Division One clash at the Kennington Oval in London on Monday.
Roach took figures of 6-46 off 14 overs to restrict Warwickshire to 209 all out in 59 overs in their second innings, leaving Surrey needing only 89 to win.
Dom Sibley with 46* and Rory Burns with 30 then led the way as Surrey reached 89-1 in the 23rd over.
Earlier in the game, Warwickshire made 343 in 102.5 overs in their first innings thanks to an excellent 108 from Ed Barnard.
Roach also took 2-81 in the first innings in support of Jordan Clark and Sean Abbott who took 4-64 and 2-51, respectively.
Surrey then replied with 464 in 111.4 overs thanks to 155 off 179 balls from Jamie Smith as well as half centuries from Dom Sibley and Sean Abbott.
Full scores:
Warwickshire 343 off 102.5 overs (Ed Barnard 108, Jordan Clark 4-64, Sean Abbot 2-51, Kemar Roach 2-81) & 209 off 59 overs (Rob Yates 52, Ed Barnard 44, Kemar Roach 6-46)
Surrey 434 off 111.4 overs (Jamie Smith 155, Dom Sibley 64, Sean Abbott 50*, Craig Miles 5-43) & 89-1 off 22.4 overs (Dom Sibley 46*, Rory Burns 30)
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