Matt Rhodes’ Post

New data, presented at the ECB's AGM today, shows that the number of people playing, attending or following cricket surged by 2m last year as nailbiting Men’s and Women’s Ashes series captured the nation’s imagination. - Ticket sales and viewing for both series jumped to 14.7m – up from 12.5m the previous year. - Attendances hit 3.1m, the highest outside a World Cup hosting year. - 22% increase in the number of women’s and girls’ teams, while the number of junior teams generally was also up by 21%. - Record-breaking financial results have enabled more money than ever before to be invested into support for the cricket network, growing the game and work to make cricket a more inclusive sport. https://lnkd.in/e5t2hMPe

Last month, I wrote about allegations of double standards in how the ICC INTERNATIONAL CRICKET COUNCIL approached political interference within their Member Associations. At that point, Australia was the only country that had refused to play bilateral fixtures against Afghanistan due to the “marked deterioration in human rights for women and girls” (who have been banned from playing any sport since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021). To date, the ICC has taken the view that it will “not penalise the Afghanistan Cricket Board, or its players, for abiding by the laws set by the government of their country”. In my article (accessible via this link: https://lnkd.in/eRu_Ht4U), I said that “if other Full Members, particularly the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB), come under pressure from their respective governments to act akin to Cricket Australia, the ICC may be forced to reassess its stance on the issue.” Well, guess what, the ECB has now followed Cricket Australia, with CEO Richard Gould announcing this week that England will not schedule a bilateral series against Afghanistan as long as the Taliban-ruled country continues to refuse to field a women’s team. Whilst England and Afghanistan have never played a bilateral series (the most recent meeting being at the Men’s 50-Over World Cup in October 2023), two of the “big three” Member Associations have taken matters into their own hands. Unilateral action of this nature is far from ideal for the ICC - not so much from a scheduling perspective, but in exposing governance limitations, lack of uniformity, and the difficulty of divorcing sport and politics. #afghanistancricket #englandcricket #icc #sportsgovernance https://lnkd.in/edwsxuwy

🏏 Independent regulators in sport appear to be in vogue and, following the recommendations of the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket, the England & Wales Cricket Board has now announced the establishment of an independent regulator for cricket. 💡 In this SportingLinks blog post, Ali Amerjee and I examine the establishment, role and powers of the new independent regulator for cricket. #SportingLinks #LinklatersSports #sportslaw

Today we’ve updated the Culture, Media and Sport committee on how we’re implementing the action plan to make cricket a more inclusive sport following the ICEC report. Read a summary of action here. https://lnkd.in/dRer4WYw

On 19 March 2024, Cricket Australia ("CA") announced its withdrawal from a scheduled Men’s T20 series against Afghanistan because of the ongoing restrictions on women/girls in the country (who are banned from playing any sport and deprived many basic human rights under the ruling Taliban). This has thrust the spotlight on Afghanistan’s continued status as a “Full Member” of the ICC INTERNATIONAL CRICKET COUNCIL and whether more national cricket associations should be following CA's lead by taking matters into their own hands. The ICC’s inaction towards the Afghanistan Cricket Board (“ACB”) appears even more stark given that, as recently as November 2023, it suspended Sri Lanka Cricket (“SLC”) due to a “serious breach of its obligations… to manage its affairs autonomously and ensure that there is no government interference”. Although SLC's suspension was subsequently lifted in January this year, there have been allegations of double standards in circumstances where Afghan women/girls are banned from even playing cricket under the Taliban. Such outright prohibition is, on the face of it, one of the more extreme examples of government interference. Against such a backdrop, albeit a complex geo-political one, it begs the overarching question: why has the ICC not taken action against the ACB in accordance with its governance framework? In this article, I examine: (1) Some of the express constitutional and regulatory requirements for ICC Members; (2) The ICC’s historic handling of allegations of “political inference” in cricket; (3) The events leading to SLC’s recent suspension; (4) Whether the ACB’s circumstances are distinguishable (and/or if the ACB should be afforded “special” treatment); and (5) What the future of Afghan cricket might entail. Have a read! #afghanistancricket #sportsgovernance #icc #humanrights #srilankacricket https://lnkd.in/eRu_Ht4U

As I watch the T-20 World Cup of cricket unfold in the United States and the West Indies, I can't help but wonder about the future of the sport. The International Cricket Council (ICC), the global governing body of cricket, faces a critical juncture as it navigates the increasing influence of billionaires in the sport. With more and more billionaires owning league teams in key markets, the ICC must be vigilant to maintain its independence and impartiality. The last thing we want is for conflicts of interest and biased decision-making to undermine the ICC's credibility and trust among member nations and stakeholders. But that's not all - there's also a risk of billionaire interests dominating decision-making processes, which would compromise the ICC's credibility as the leading representative of global cricket interests. This could lead to a loss of trust and confidence among other member nations and stakeholders, and potentially even a shift in power dynamics and a diminished role for the ICC. Furthermore, the ICC's ability to promote and develop cricket globally might be compromised if billionaire interests prioritize their own domestic leagues and tournaments over international cricket. And if billionaires withdraw their support or prioritize their own interests over international cricket, the ICC's financial stability might be compromised as well. It's clear that the ICC faces significant challenges in maintaining its independence and relevance in a cricket world dominated by billionaires. But it's not all doom and gloom - by strengthening governance and regulations, ensuring diverse representation and decision-making processes, promoting and developing cricket globally, maintaining financial independence and transparency, and fostering strong relationships with member nations and stakeholders, the ICC can uphold its mission to promote and govern international cricket. A strong and independent ICC is essential for maintaining the sport's integrity and credibility, and it's in the interest of both the sport itself and those billionaires who have made positive contributions to it. By maintaining its independence and credibility, the ICC can continue to promote and develop cricket globally, providing a platform for billionaires and other stakeholders to contribute to the sport's growth and success. This will ultimately benefit the sport as a whole, as well as those who have invested in it. As a cricket fan, I urge the ICC to take these challenges seriously and take the necessary steps to maintain its independence and relevance. The future of cricket depends on it. About the Author: Max Shaukat is a pioneering cricket entrepreneur. He has hosted multiple international matches and events in North America, featuring top test teams and legendary cricket players. Max's efforts have significantly grown cricket in North America, paving the way for its continued success.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is preparing for its Annual Conference in Colombo later this month, a pivotal event where several crucial decisions and elections are expected to take center stage. Among the highlights, the election for the ICC chairman will notably not be on the agenda during this conference. The current chairman, Greg Barclay, is eligible for another term and may seek re-election in the future. However, all eyes are on Jay Shah, the Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), who is widely anticipated to contest the chairman position in November. The Colombo conference will serve as a critical platform for ICC members to deliberate on various key issues affecting the global cricketing landscape. With the ICC’s governance structure and strategic direction under scrutiny, member boards will engage in discussions aimed at enhancing the sport’s growth and development across different regions. The omission of the chairman election from this month’s agenda allows for a more focused debate on other pressing matters, such as the future of international tournaments, financial distributions among member boards, and the global expansion of the sport. As the cricketing world awaits the November showdown, speculation about Jay Shah’s potential candidacy continues to build momentum. Shah’s influence within the BCCI and his vision for the future of cricket are seen as pivotal factors that could shape the leadership dynamics within the ICC. Meanwhile, Greg Barclay’s tenure and his contributions to the ICC’s governance will remain under the spotlight, as the cricketing fraternity closely monitors the developments leading up to the elections.

I spent January finding out about the financial reality of English domestic cricket. This is what I learned... Inflationary impact on ECB central funding has been considerable on smaller counties (one put it as a real-terms £750,000 loss between now and 2020). Counties are moving heaven and earth in effort to diversify revenue streams, but ECB chief exec tells me ground development should not be done with aim of hosting Test matches. 'We're at capacity,' was the message. Small measures are being taken all over the place to look after the pennies. Gloucestershire are opening gates an hour later for Championship games this year, and will save £20,000. Warwickshire shut Edgbaston down entirely for a fortnight over Christmas to save on energy costs after seeing annual bills leap from £700,000 to £1.3million. The game seems ready to welcome private investment, but almost entirely the attitude is that it should be fed into The Hundred. Members will not like the idea, but harsh reality is more than a third of clubs rely on ECB funding for more than 50% of revenue. Cumulative revenues among counties is back to 2019 level, but cumulative profit considerably down. Record sales and sponsorships all over the place, but it's not delivering growth. For the full article, pick up a copy of The Cricketer magazine or become a digital member to get access online today... https://lnkd.in/eJdHDGrT

Andrew Umbers was delighted to attend the inaugural World Cricket Connects event last week at Lord's. Read below for his thoughts and opinions: "I think the Marylebone Cricket Club elevated themselves as an independent body not conflicted by the responsibilities of all of the International and Domestic Cricket Boards, ICC, T20 owners, IPL owners, FCCCs, Broadcasters, Players Unions, in hosting this forum (and who were present at Lord’s)…and addressed the most important issues in cricket. Importantly, Mark Nicholas went out of his way to constructively encourage debate and observations from the most important stakeholders in cricket. He succeeded and should be applauded. And I was present on behalf of Oakwell Sports Advisory. The day was not about providing ‘solutions to cricket’, merely it was to have an elevated debate at a time when cricket is seemingly enjoying 'massively good times' but at its core has some structural issues. And quite possibly, the ICC, because of its non-independence (represented by major cricket stakeholders/Boards), may not the appropriate forum to discuss 'said issues'. My main take-aways were: - Governance structures, which are at the heart of all domestic and global cricket decisions, have not been modernised to adapt the changing consumption patterns in cricket. - Fans and players are more important than ever in shaping/driving change to the different format of cricket. - Technology is accelerating different consumption changes and broadcast medium. - Fans are not being listened to. One-Day game viewership is down 23% over the last 3 cycles (12 years), we play the same amount of Test Matches… - Bilateral cricket is NOT wanted by our cricketing icons (players) and Indian broadcasters. Too many meaningless games. (This is a challenge for the ECB which relies on 75% of its revs from Bilateral cricket. oops). - Players are more important than team brands (same with all the major global sports fyi today) - Players will ultimately determine change. - 60% of players (on central contracts) would not now sign central contracts. - Whilst the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) were not present, this was not a snub. I would have done the same. There were 1million Indian fans lining Marine Drive to celebrate India's T20 team arriving back from the Caribbean. Amazing scenes and something to embrace. Well done Mark Nicholas. And the MCC. What is the exam question: Will anything change as a consequence? Knowing many stakeholders, as we at Oakwell do, I believe so. And the MCC can play an important role." #cricket https://lnkd.in/ek3taepE

India dominates England in the finances despite England comeback in first test! Since the 19th century, Ashes series between England and Australia were the pinnacle of cricket and its finances. However, India has now eclipsed England and Australia as the ultimate financial power in global cricket. The country’s governing body, the BCCI, dominates global decision making and takes a larger share of global revenues than England and Australia combined. With 1.4bn people, India has a larger population than every other established cricket nation put together but also the passion for the game. India’s biggest impact is arguably set to be felt at domestic level. Flush with cash, IPL team owners have bought franchises in new Twenty20 leagues everywhere from South Africa and the Caribbean to the UAE. The first season of Major League Cricket, an American T20 tournament, started in June. It is said IPL teams are pushing to overhaul rules to allow them to contract players year round, moving them from league to league, to an international club model. Such a change will have profound impacts to the way the game has been played for 200 years. The question is whether this will lead to positive or detrimental effects for the future of the game? #cricket #cricketnews #sportsbusiness #ipl #indiavsengland