Television the key to £300m ECB aid plan (24 Sep 1998)

24 September 1998

Television the key to £300m ECB aid plan

By Charles Randall

ENGLAND cricket needs massive investment, perhaps five times its existing turnover, if it is to sustain a winning Test team and fulfil the business plan that the authorities at Lord's have been preparing.

Lord MacLaurin, chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board, last night repeated the often-quoted £300 million, a seemingly impossible sum, that would be needed to improve spectator facilities and develop the sport at all levels.

The ECB, who have hired a marketing agency to assist with research, are to present a five-year strategy, with realistic targets, to a discussion group of cricket boards in London on Oct 13-14.

With the sport already disproportionately bolstered by National Lottery money - that source is bound to be reduced - the ECB's plan seems to depend on the current television negotiations and, more crucially, on public interest generated by next year's World Cup tournament in the United Kingdom and Holland, with a successful Ashes winter the potential bonus.

MacLaurin, speaking at a BBC World Service dinner in London last night, reiterated the importance of television funding, now that Tests had been taken off the list of terrestrial-only viewing. "Investment in the game is vital," he said. "Many people criticised us when we fought for delisting, but they didn't seem to appreciate the need for us to secure more revenue.

"At the moment, the turnover of cricket is about £60 million, but we have identified the need to invest something like £300 million if we are going to improve facilities for spectators around the country and develop the kind of talent we need to sustain a winning England team."

He added: "Cricket is still our national summer sport, but it has taken a severe beating over the past few years. Our Test-series win over South Africa was the first hint of a revival which I believe will surge forward into the millennium."

Middlesex are due to make a final decision about sacking their coach after a single season tonight in an unusual case, which does not reflect credit on the county.

John Buchanan, Queensland's successful and innovative coach, wanted to take up the second-year option of his contract, but the cricket committee recommended against him for tonight's general committee's ratification at Lord's, the equivalent of a dismissal.

Some of the Middlesex players were happy to give the scholarly Buchanan another chance after a poor season, especially when he admitted he would need to amend his fastidious analytical approach to the job if he returned next year.

Buchanan's main innovation was logging every single delivery in every match on computer and using hours of videotape to analyse strengths and weaknesses in Middlesex players and the opposition.

He admitted that a problem had been his naivety towards the English system, which allowed little opportunity to analyse or utilise his data. He found that the players wanted their spare time for "recharging batteries", as one put it, or net practice, rather than watching video analysis.

Buchanan said: "It was a case of me learning more about the English system. It's an important time for the club. All the makings are there for a good team. The problem is not so much the right or wrong system, but which system. At least, if I were to come back, I would have had time by then to put some of the computer data to use."

Middlesex leave themselves open for more upheaval, as Bob Gale has stepped down as chairman of the cricket committee after nine years, and Mike Gatting and Keith Brown, two senior players, have retired.

Gatting would be Buchanan's successor, and Brown, who captained the side for half the season, has taken up a teaching post at Brandean, an independent school in Exeter, which is building a reputation for sporting excellence.

Andrew Caddick, Graeme Hick and Phil Tufnell have been placed on standby for England's winter tour of Australia.

Source :: Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk)