The consequences of free-to-air Ashes

The consequences of making the Ashes free-to-air would be vast and a compromise needs to be put in place, writes Mike Brearley in the Guardian.

Almost 80% of the England and Wales Cricket Board's income comes from broadcasting. The huge increase in revenues from this source over the past 13 years – it was £15m in 1997, £64m in 2010 – has been used to prop up the (in some cases) ailing counties, but also, importantly, it has boosted coaching at all levels of the game. Since 2005, 24,000 new coaches have been trained. In particular, the broadcasting money has been used to fund the significant increase in cricket played by disabled people; and it has greatly enhanced women's cricket in this country. All three national teams, men, women and disabled, won their respective Ashes series last time round. England's women are world champions at one-day cricket and at Twenty20. One fifth of the ECB's spending goes on grassroots cricket and it has contributed to the growth and quality of the game.

In addition to such support, the ECB have also funded the highest level of cricket. Central contracts have changed the face of the top professional game. And there is now a national cricket performance centre. All this would be threatened if the income from broadcasting were to be cut.