The ECB chairman seems determined to push on with his plans for The Hundred despite the outcry the prospect of the new format has caused across the game
There is no fiercer battle than the one to be the least appealing individual in British sporting governance. It is a field in which we are absolutely world class. From the FA to the RFU to the ECB to the Jockey Club and far beyond, we really bring home the bacon. All the cured pork, in fact. Of all the games we invented, this is the last one we can always be sure of winning.
And yet, even by the high standards of his peers, the England and Wales Cricket Board chairman, Colin Graves, is having an excellent run. I think the clinching factor is how much Colin clearly seems to hate cricket. In one sense, even that’s not weird. All populists secretly hate their people. All bookies secretly hate their punters. And all sports blazers secretly hate their sport. You only have to look at Gianni Infantino’s sporticidal plans for a 48-team World Cup, and ever more competitive black-tie award ceremonies, to see a similar tendency.
Related: Hundred tournament is a definite starter, claims ECB chairman Colin Graves
Related: Cricket for idiots: there are 100 reasons not to like the ECB’s big idea | Andy Bull
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