ECB chief makes northern cricket pledge after Headingley Ashes snub

ECB boss Richard Gould has guaranteed there will be a northern Ashes Test in 2031, 2035 and 2039 after criticism of next summer’s schedule.

Gould – the England and Wales Cricket Board chief executive – gave the assurance while speaking on The Overlap and Betfair’s Stick to Cricket show.

Neither Headingley or Old Trafford has been allocated an Australia match, with the Utilita Bowl added to the roster for the first time.

Both Yorkshire and Lancashire have one in 2031 and Gould committed to at least one being a host in the next two editions.

“We used to have nine Test match venues, we’ve now got seven. So, when we’ve got five Ashes Tests, we do want to make sure that it goes around the country in a relatively fair manner,” Gould said.

“There are no Test matches in the north in 2027. Going forward to 2039, yes, there will always be an Ashes Test match in the north.

“The pattern has always been to make sure that there’s always an Ashes Test at either Headingley or at Old Trafford.”

Gould also revealed the ECB is open to the idea of giving fans “a peek behind the curtain” through a behind-the-scenes documentary series.

Fly-on-the-wall programmes centred around sporting teams have been popular for several years, with Formula One’s Drive to Survive, the Hollywood-tinged Welcome to Wrexham and Manchester City’s A Beautiful Obsession among the most high profile.

In cricket, the Australian men’s team has been involved in three seasons of The Test – each including an Ashes series against England.

England have yet to follow suit, but Gould has suggested he would be happy to explore a lucrative deal if one of the major streaming platforms came to the table.

He said: “A peek behind the curtain is often what people want to see. If there’s any Netflix or Amazon (representatives) out there with deep pockets that want to make us an offer, we’d be pleased to have those discussions.

“But there’s also that balance between wanting to ensure the players and staff have a private environment to do their job. Maybe there’s a different way of doing it now.”