PCA warns province's cricket schedule could lead to disaster without cuts | Cricket

The Professional Cricketers Association has called for a budget cut in domestic cricket, warning that traffic congestion is jeopardizing performance and could even lead to disaster on the roads as exhausted players bounce from match to match.

Figures released by the association following a national study at the start of the current season show that 81% of men's players are concerned about the physical demands of the playing schedule and the increased risk of injuries, while 62% expressed similar concerns about the impact on mental health. Two-thirds of PCA members believe there is too much domestic cricket, with the union calling the schedule unfit for purpose.

There are a large number of players who do not think the schedule is conducive to high-level performance, former England captain Joe Root said in support of the findings. If we can make the players safer and the output of the games higher quality, English cricket will win completely.

The pressure on the T20 Blast appears particularly worrying, with the PCA recording 55 consecutive matches for teams in 2024, compared to 34 last summer. This follows a call for minimum standards regarding the number of rest days, as well as travel and accommodation facilities to facilitate late-night turnaround times.

Gloucestershire provide an example in June, with evening Blast matches in Cardiff and Bristol on Thursday and Friday before traveling 270 miles to Scarborough for a four-day match against Yorkshire starting at 11am on Sunday.

Back-to-back games have increased significantly and are only being looked at through a commercial lens, said Daryl Mitchell, PCA's chief operating officer. We understand that, but there has to be a balance. There are reports of players getting off the team bus, driving home and forgetting how they got there, almost on autopilot. We want to anticipate it before something disastrous happens.

Our general manager, Rob [Lynch] is concerned about receiving calls in the early hours of the morning when someone has driven off the M1. That scares us. [Our research shows] 76% of players are concerned about safety while traveling. I don't think huge cuts are needed [in games] but we need to create some space.

There are 78 days of cricket planned for the county's first XIs this season (excluding the white ball knockout stages), with 14 championship matches per side, 14 group matches in the T20 Blast and eight in the One Day Cup. (If players participate in the Hundred, which has eight group games, they will miss the last one).

This actually represents a decrease from 2010, when, for example, teams played 16 four-day matches, 16 Blast group matches and 12 in the Pro40. One difference is the arrival of the Hundred, which has pushed the Blast out of the school holidays and provinces have responded with more matches on Thursdays and Fridays to increase crowds.

Achieving a further reduction will be problematic, not least after an attempt to scrap the championship in 2022 was thwarted by membership of the provinces. And this expression of fear from the PCA comes especially as the next County Partnership Agreement is being negotiated, including the distribution of revenue from the next broadcast agreement.

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At the same time, the England and Wales Cricket Board is pressing ahead with a plan to privatize teams in the Hundred, a seismic change in the structure of the sport, but one that is likely to rely on a county network struggling with rising costs and saddled with a combined debt of approximately 200 million.

Lured by a potential windfall, some forecasts say that as much as 500 million euros could be raised through this process, the 18 first-class provinces and the MCC have until May 10 to conclude a non-binding agreement to further this direction of travel to explore.

Under the proposals, the eight host countries would be given a majority share of 51% of their Hundred side to keep or sell at their discretion, while the ECB would sell the remaining 49%. The proceeds from the latter would be split between the provinces and MCC, with 10% going to recreational play.

Investors, expected to include those from the Indian Premier League, will be able to buy shares from either side of the sale to claim a majority stake in a particular Hundred team. In turn, they would receive up to 80% of the revenue from ticket sales, sponsorship and the broadcast agreement.