ECB Chief Richard Gould Stresses Need to “Defend Our Game” Amidst PCA Criticism

Following criticism from the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA), Richard Gould, chief executive of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), stated that the organization must “defend our game.” The governing body and the players’ union have been in disagreement regarding new regulations concerning involvement in international leagues and adjustments to salaries within The Hundred competition. PCA chief executive Daryl Mitchell commented on Thursday, citing a “lack of communication and consultation” and a “lack of respect to the players.” Speaking to BBC Sport, Gould remarked: “Our responsibility is for a very wide pool of players. Some of the comments will come from a very small part of any membership. We need to listen to them – and we will – but we also need to balance them up to the needs of the game.” He added: “We need to defend our game. We need to take it forward and there will be times it takes precedence over the priorities of an individual.” An announcement made on Thursday revealed that the highest salary bracket in the men’s Hundred competition will rise from £125,000 to £200,000 for the 2025 season, with the objective of attracting more of the world’s top players. Conversely, salary increases for those at the lower end of the pay structure are considerably less significant, with the lowest bracket seeing an increase of £1,000, moving from £30,000 to £31,000. This disparity has prompted allegations that the overall 25% cash injection compared to last season primarily benefits marquee players, frequently those from overseas, instead of players within the domestic cricket system. Gould clarified that these increments represent an “interim position” awaiting new investment derived from the sale of stakes in the eight Hundred teams. He stated: “I understand the criticism because there will be a number of players, particularly in the men’s side, that were hoping for bigger increases.” Gould further explained: “For the higher price bands for the men’s game we have put more money into that because in the last few years we haven’t seen enough of the top 50 male players in the world. We want to see more of them. Therefore we need to be paying more. We’ve taken that money and focused it in that area.” The maximum salary for women players has been set at £65,000, representing a gradual increase from the £15,000 offered when The Hundred commenced in 2021. In 2023, the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket advised achieving equal salaries within The Hundred by 2025. However, instead of narrowing, the pay disparity between men and women has expanded. Gould commented, stating: “The gap has got bigger because of market dynamics. That wasn’t a recommendation we said we could deliver on and we have been very up front on that.” Player discontent regarding Hundred salaries follows existing unease concerning new regulations for no-objection certificates (NOCs). To participate in an overseas league, a player must obtain an NOC from the ECB. Among the changes the ECB plans to introduce for 2025, no player holding a contract to play red-ball cricket for their county will be issued an NOC during the English season, with the sole exception being participation in the Indian Premier League (IPL). This policy appears poised to exclude players from the Pakistan Super League, which is slated to overlap with both the IPL and the initial segment of the English summer. Players with contracts exclusively for white-ball cricket may still be granted an NOC. However, uncertainty exists for players who typically focus on white-ball cricket but whose contracts include provisions for playing first-class cricket; Gould indicated these situations would be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Gould asserted: “We need to protect our summer. When we have players under contract we want to encourage them to remain and play in our competitions. If they chose to become a complete freelancer, that’s absolutely fine.” He further commented: “We don’t want to be issuing no-objection certificates for people to play in tournaments when we’ve got great tournaments for them to play in.” Gould also expressed his expectation that stakes in all eight Hundred teams would be sold, noting that “multiple parties” have shown interest in each franchise. Regarding the Champions Trophy, which remains uncertain following India’s refusal to travel to host nation Pakistan, Gould anticipates the tournament will still occur in February as planned. He stated: “Location is the one that is still being worked through. Quite sensibly, both Pakistan and India will be given a bit of time and space to work through those options.” Gould emphasized: “The value of Pakistan and India in global events is enormous and we want to make sure they’re playing.”