Following the ECB’s publication of its final report, the Club wanted to outline the steps that have been taken and what the club will be doing over coming weeks to ensure the views of those who play, watch and work in county cricket are considered ahead of any vote by county Chairs.
The Board and Members’ Committee had started a process of internal consultation even before we had the ECB’s official report, as various emerging themes had started to appear.
We shared the potential recommendations through a Members’ Forum held during the County Championship fixture against Somerset and published key outcomes on the website, along with a video allowing all Members to watch the forum in full.
Men’s High Performance Review – VIEW REPORT
Men’s High Performance Review – ECB PRESS RELEASE
We have met with the Members’ Committee itself, the elected vehicle for gathering the views of Members, and it was good to see that the thoughts of the Committee and the general Membership are broadly aligned. We have also spoken to the players and coaching staff to get their views, along with the wider commercial team responsible for considering the impact of any changes on sponsors and ticket buyers. Now that we have the final recommendations, we will repeat this process to allow the broadest possible input.
- A second Members’ Forum will be held on Wednesday 26 October. Based on feedback, this will take place at 6.30pm, allowing those who weren’t able to attend during the day to have a voice.
- The views expressed during both Forums, and those gathered more widely by those elected, will then be discussed at an additional Members’ Committee meeting.
- We have launched a web page which gives more visibility to those who sit on the Members’ Committee as well as setting up a stand-alone email address (memberscommittee@edgbaston.com) which allows Members to directly email those on the Committee.
- We will meet again with the players and coaching staff to gain their thoughts from a playing and competition integrity perspective.
- We will also evaluate the economic impact of the proposals, looking at what it means to the Club’s financial viability.
By early November, thew Club will form a view based on the feedback from Members, coaches, playing staff and the commercial team. This will be discussed by the Board and a mandate given to the Chair to vote accordingly at any future ECB vote. The Club are seeking clarity from the ECB on what the Chairs will be asked to vote on. At the moment, we don’t know if it will be a binary vote for/against the entire proposal or a series of recommendations, broken down by competition.
This is a pivotal moment for the domestic game and we feel that this approach allows the Club to listen properly to all of the views expressed from a range of important stakeholders, including Members, so that we make the right decision for the future of the County game and the success of the England Men’s team.
