sport news ECB feared MULTI-MILLION pound losses had England's Test against South Africa ... trends now
English cricket identified how the death of Her Majesty the Queen would potentially impact the financial stability of the sport several years ago.
The England and Wales Cricket Board have included a period of ‘national mourning’ during the home international season as one of the major risks to its income streams in the strategic reports accompanying recent annual accounts.
It has been listed in the ‘principal risks and uncertainties’ section of the reports as ‘a loss of cricket due to events outside cricket’s control’ along with the threat posed by terrorist attacks.
The England and Wales Cricket Board previously identified 'national mourning' as a potential financial risk
In 2018, when the ECB figures revealed group reserves had plunged from £73.1million to £8.6m over a two-year period, it also added the status of Test cricket to that list as Test matches have long been the vehicle for bankrolling the sport in this country.
The ECB’s insurance does not cover cancellation caused by the death of a monarch, and so multi-million pound losses would have followed had the governing body chosen that course of action for England’s third Test match against South Africa at the Kia Oval.
Twelve months ago, Surrey took in £7.9million in ticket sales for the sold-out Test versus India, and a sum approaching that amount was anticipated for the finale of this year’s LV= Insurance Series, which is currently locked at 1-1. The majority of the money required to be paid back direct in the event of a cancellation would have come directly from cricket’s coffers, as only the first day washout is covered by the insurers.
Postponing the match would arguably have seen it disappear altogether. In contrast to Premier League football fixtures, which can be re-scheduled easily enough at a later date in the season, Test matches are much more difficult to rearrange given their five-day length, aligning with broadcasting schedules and reliance on the compliance of other nations.
Indeed, South Africa did not want to hang around an extra 24 hours to make up the loss of the second day - called off by the ECB as a mark of respect - and with the international season coming to its end on Monday, it would have meant squeezing an extra Test into a 2023 summer which already features a World Test Championship final and full Ashes campaign.
The third Test between England and South Africa ultimately went ahead, with the
