Graves slams ECB funding and county committee

Colin Graves, Yorkshire's chairman, has called for a bigger share of the money which goes to the 18 first-class counties to go to those who host Tests.

As things stand, all counties receive around £1.35 million from the ECB, although those which host major matches do receive extra income - in Yorkshire's case, that amounts to around £500,000.

Speaking to the Yorkshire Post, Graves critcicised the way the money was distributed. "As I see it, the problem is that the first-class counties have always had the vote on this and when you consider there are something like six counties with Test grounds and 12 counties without Test grounds, it doesn't take a genius to work out what's happening.

"I fully understand the other side of an argument, but we've got a Test ground and all the costs that go with that, so I think that needs to be taken into account."

Closer to home, Graves also slammed the county committee, which was formed to represent and raise the membership, accusing it of being "a talking shop in need of an overhaul".

He told the paper: "So far, the members' committee hasn't worked and I'm not going to make any secret of that fact. It's supposed to help attract more members but, as far as I can tell, it hasn't been successful. The Yorkshire board doesn't run this committee; the committee appoints its own chairman and it's up to its members at the end of the day. The committee can still have a useful role to play, but it certainly needs to be more pro-active."

Few on the committee would seem to disagree with that, although some members say the board is to blame. Simon Parsons, who resigned from it last year in frustration at its lack of power, said: "The members' committee does not serve any useful function. It is a waste of time, a pointless exercise. It has no powers and, consequently, does not have the ability to best serve members' interests, which was the whole point of its creation."

Although some believe the committee has served its purpose and should be wound up, Graves was not in agreement. "It can still work, but it needs to be more than a talking shop and, in some cases, a moaning shop. It needs to move forward for the good of the club."