Plane carrying anti-ECB banner flown over Headingley during third India Test

A banner was flown over Headingley on day three of the third Test between England and India carrying an anti- ECB message.

The banner simply read: "Sack the ECB and save Test cricket".

There has been much dissatisfaction among some cricket fans in England over the way the ECB has been run over the past few years.

The introduction of The Hundred has been a hugely controversial decision and the ECB have marginalised the domestic first-class game in favour of the more lucrative shorter formats.

Much was made of the fact that England's players went into the ongoing series against India with little red ball cricket under the belt and the ECB were criticised for not finding room in the schedule for some first-class cricket in the lead up to the series.

Former England captains Michael Vaughan and Michael Atherton were both critical of the ECB's schedule, with Vaughan labelling it "silly" and Atherton calling it "a joke".

The ECB's chief executive Tom Harrison later admitted that there are "real issues with the schedule" and that "the preparation for this series hasn't been ideal".

Reports have also emerged that England's cricketers have 'privately queried' the bumper £2.1m bonus payout that the ECB's chiefs are set to share.

According to the Guardian, the likes of Harrison and Sanjay Patel, the man behind The Hundred, are set to receive big bonuses this year despite the ECB undergoing major cost-cutting during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The ECB made a £16.5m loss during the last financial year and made 62 job cuts, while England's players also agreed pay cuts and to take reduced prize money.

The sport as a whole lost around £100m of revenue and a number of counties were also forced to make job cuts.

Domestic players also saw their salaries reduced and opted to give up around £1m in prize money in a bid to help the sport navigate the pandemic.

One England star told the Guardian that it felt as though the ECB had "looked after themselves" while the players continued to play cricket in taxing biosecure bubbles with less financial incentives.

The ECB have defended the bonus scheme, stating that it was set up in 2017 and that senior administrators also took pay cuts last year.

Source: Read Full Article