ECB set to compensate counties who miss out on Test matches
Thursday 17 November 2016 08:26, UK
Counties will be compensated if their grounds miss out on hosting Test matches, England and Wales Cricket Board chairman Colin Graves has said.
Graves is keen to avoid a repeat of Durham's bail-out in October, which saw them relegated from Division One of the County Championship, docked 48 points and stripped of Test status after overextending themselves financially.
The 68-year-old is looking to scrap the system that pits county against county in a bidding war to host Test matches and instead come up with a system which safeguards their futures.
He told the Daily Telegraph: "I want to change the process so the risk is taken away from the grounds and that risk is shared by the ECB going forward.
"I want to do it on a different basis to make sure everybody is treated the same.
"Look at the way we are now. Nottinghamshire this year are going to lose over £1m because they have not had a Test match. That is not fair.
"The same can be said for Old Trafford, Edgbaston and Headingley when they have not had an international match.
"We might end up in a situation where if a ground does not get a Test match we pay them a certain amount of money so they do not make a big loss.
"If we do go down to six Tests a year, then we will ask them [international grounds] how we make it fit and if you do not get a Test you will have some form of compensation."
Graves also confirmed that a new Twenty20 league is being discussed, with more details expected on that in April 2017.
He believes change has to happen and added: "We can sit here and leave everything as it is and say it's hunky-dory in the garden but it is not.
"If you look at participation numbers, they are dropping like a stone. If you look at the audience that is watching, we are not attracting new fans.
"The new competition will be introduced to attract women, kids and new people to the game based around cricket and entertainment.
"It will not be based around drinking beer on a Friday night."
