English cricket board has agreed to to play a series of matches to recoup Sky sports lost revenue from the 2008 Stanford Super Series fiasco.
An estimated 22% of Sky TV revenue goes back into grassroots cricket, but there’s a worrying dependence on Sky revenue to fund to fund the domestic game, and the central contracts. The English cricket and Sky Sports 2010-2013 partnership much like Scottish Football’s over-dependence on TV revenue in the 2000′s, seems destined for collision course.
Ultimately it was the domestic game that suffered as the Television deal collapsed in 2009 leaving Scottish Fc’s reeling and in debt, with attendances at an all time low due to inflated ticket prices.
The 2013 Ashes free-to-air debate should be put back on the table now, as ECB’s reputation is on the line once again. Not only is county cricket in a poor state, with very few international stars allowed to play during the season, that cricket’s true fans are being alienated.
When the ICC’s meet in Hong Kong later in the month, they must allow associations nations into the 2015 World Cup and send a message to the cricket community that no-one team or player is bigger than the game.
