Give nation a gift of free Test cricket, say former ministers

ENGLAND’S cricket Test series against the West Indies next month should be shown on free-to-air television as a gift to the nation, former sports ministers have claimed.

The three-match showdown with the West Indies begins on July 8 at The Ageas Bowl in Southampton and is due to be broadcast live on Sky Sports Cricket. Richard Caborn, a former minister for sport, told The Sunday Tele

graph it would be a “tremendous tonic” if the matches were free to view so many more fans can enjoy them.

“Anything we can do to lift the spirits of the nation is good,” he said. “A lot of older people will be watching cricket and they’ve been hit hardest by the pandemic but wouldn’t necessarily have access to Sky Sports channels.”

Gerry Sutcliffe, a former minister for sport and tourism, agreed that it would be “an appropriate gift to the nation”.

“Cricket is one of our major sports that can bring people together and would be a boost to those that have needed a lift – and England versus the West Indies is always an enjoyable encounter,” he said.

The calls come after the BBC announced it would be hosting four live

Premier League football games for the first time in the tournament’s history.

Julian Knight, chairman of the Commons digital, culture, media and sport committee, said it would be “great to see cricket on free to air again” provided that the England and Wales Cricket Board, which he noted is “a lot poorer than the Premier League”, doesn’t lose out.

An ECB spokesman said: “The media rights of England games generate revenues that fund the entire game. Ful

‘Older people have been hardest hit by the pandemic but would not necessarily have access to Sky channels’

filling our obligations to Sky, including live Test broadcast rights, will ensure even under the financial threat of Covid-19, funding will continue to support the survival of cricket.

“We know that we must balance this critical financial necessity alongside making cricket as widely accessible as possible. Ongoing work with our broadcast partners, Sky and BBC, will continue to see cricket coverage aired or streamed across all of the platforms that today’s multi-generational sports fans use to consume content.”