Building delays will be threat to Headingley Tests
INTERNATIONAL cricket may be departing Headingley after Yorkshire chief executive Mark Arthur warned the delayed redevelopment of the ground could see the ground excluded from the 2019 World Cup.
The main stand at Headingley is shared by Leeds Rhinos and the rugby league side announced this week that the planned £38m upgrade, which was expected to begin in January, is being put back due to problems with planning permission.
Improved facilities were key to Yorkshire’s hopes of gaining a favourable allocation when the 2020-2024 England fixtures are awarded next year. But now Arthur believes this problem could see Headingley fall too far down the pecking order.
Arthur said:“The 2020-2024 major matches will be allocated in the summer of 2017, therefore this delay could mean Headingley will no longer be considered fit for Tests – or to host any World Cup matches in 2019.
“Not only does this delay impact the club’s ability to stage internationals, it would also have profound consequences to both Yorkshire’s and Leeds Rhinos’ valuable and long-standing work within the wider community.To continue the vast amount of work within the Leeds area, the club is dependent on retaining international cricket.”
Yorkshire currently have an agreement with the ECB guaranteeing one Test match a year up to 2019 when they will host an Ashes match for the first time in ten years.
Arthur has previously warned that Yorkshire could struggle to host international cricket if they were without top-class facilities, and Rhinos chief executive, Gary Hetherington, expressed regret at the news.
Hetherington said:“The funding package for the whole stadium development involves investment from ourselves and Yorkshire CCC, and support from Leeds City Council and other public bodies.
“Naturally a project of this magnitude has unique challenges and unfortunately we have not been able to conclude some of those to allow us to begin work on the South Stand.”
Headingley is a key venue when it comes to English cricket and nobody wants to see it lose Test status.Yes, attendances might not be as they are in London, but Yorkshire have provided England with so many players over the last 5-10 years. We don’t want to see a repeat of the Durham situation, but surely there is a way around this rather than punishing the club?