Good afternoon,
Many members will already be aware from discussions we have had at recent members’ forums and at the Club’s AGM last month, that the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in conjunction with the professional counties (PCCs) are currently reviewing the domestic playing schedule for 2026 onwards.
We wholly appreciate that this is an issue of huge importance for members and therefore the Board, and one that we are aware, from the high volume of correspondence we have received, is an area of much speculation.
Prior to writing this letter, our Executive, our staff, our playing groups, our coaching and support staff, our Board members, and several member groups have already been consulted to establish the wider views held by those individuals, however the process is far from finished, it has barely begun – the views of our wider membership, those that own the Club, are absolutely vital in this process.
Our Director of Cricket, Alan Coleman, our Chair, Richard Sykes, and I, have already sat in consultation meetings with the ECB and our first-class county counterparts to discuss the process, and you will now play a big part in shaping our response to any proposals the ECB puts forward to counties.
We wanted to reassure you that as it stands, there are no firm proposals that have been put to us by the ECB, and they are encouraging us and all counties to consult with our members and wider stakeholders to gather views on the matter, prior to them making any formal proposal for counties to vote on.
Put simply, the ECB require two thirds of the eighteen first-class counties to vote for any change. If this threshold is not met, then the schedule will remain in its current format.
In the Members' Hub (in the Exclusive Content Section), you will therefore find a link to a members’ survey, which is the first step we are taking to consult with you the members. We would urge all members to complete the survey, as your views are critical in helping us to make the right decision on whether we accept the ECB’s proposals for change.
Within the survey, you’ll find questions that ask for your views on your preferred formats, your views on the volume of cricket being played, what you would like to see the schedule look like, including in August around the Hundred, and we’ll ask you to give us your preferred views on a number of different scenarios for the how the schedule may look moving forwards.
Again, I would ask all members to give this their full consideration and complete the survey in full, to ensure that you have your say, and that the views of as many members as possible are taken into consideration in this process.
The survey will remain open for two weeks, closing on Tuesday 27th May 2025, and the anonymous data you provide will then be analysed by independent market research company, Fly Research, who are working with us on compiling and analysing this survey.
The process will then move into its next phase, when the Club will hold a members’ forum to widely discuss the matter openly with members, before we believe we will then be in a position to offer full and thorough feedback to the ECB on our consultation process with members and stakeholders.
The ECB will then be asking counties to vote on any proposals they put forward in mid-July, and there is much to do before we get there, so please take a few minutes to complete this survey, as your responses are of huge importance to us.
Thanking you in advance.
Andrew Cornish - Chief Executive Officer | Middlesex Cricket
