ECB given ultimatum: reform or lose funding

The England and Wales Cricket Board have been handed a stark ultimatum by Sport England: get your act together or risk losing funding.

Roger Draper, chief executive of Sport England, said: "We are concerned that the governance of the ECB may threaten the future growth and success of this sport. We may have to consider future funding if significant changes are not made before cricket's four-year business plan is submitted in November."

Draper, speaking in blunt terms, was critical of the board which he said was unaccountable and undemocratic. He was speaking following the publication of The Sports Nexus Report on English Cricket today.

The survey claimed that England's recent good form has failed to lift the pervading sense of gloom around the national team. ECB officials will be disappointed to read that nearly half of the supporters questioned said that they should be given only little or absolutely no credit at all for the national team's success.

And equally damning was the assessment of the job the ECB is doing with the grass-roots game. Around 53% of those questioned were either fairly or very dissatisfied with the structure and support given to cricket at the lower levels.

A statement from Sport England said that they had, "become increasingly concerned by the governance of English cricket and have endeavoured to work with all parties to modernise this sport. The approach to the ECB has been inclusive, charting a course of reform from within. Sport England has worked with all key partners including the ECB, the MCC, cricket sponsors and broadcast partners."