John Thorpe, the new chairman of Leicestershire County Cricket Club, has come out with a provocative claim. He becomes a strident champion for a complete overhaul of the English cricket schedule. Thorpe has been in the job for two years. He called the current scheduling “dysfunctional” and retroactively future-proofing it to align better with the sport’s rapidly changing landscape is a must.
Thorpe’s concerns come in light of Leicestershire’s successful season in Division Two, which culminated in their promotion back to Division One of the County Championship, ending a 23-year absence from top-flight cricket. He believes that while the club has achieved significant milestones, such as winning the Division Two title, the overarching structure of English cricket remains problematic.
“I think everybody agrees that the current calendar doesn’t work,” Thorpe stated, highlighting a consensus among various stakeholders. He exposed the unsustainable volume of cricket, calling the current calendar “dysfunctional” and on too many levels. His statements are playing catch-up with increased frustrations among the cricket family about the number of matches and where they are located.
Thorpe has already spoken to a number of other influential people in cricket for their thoughts. This was true of Claude Henderson, Alfonso Thomas, James Taylor, and many from Leicestershire. As great as these discussions have been, he lamented that there still has not been a consensus on what to do next. “There have been discussions, but there definitely is no agreement because everyone has different views,” he explained.
The chairman pointed out that it sometimes appears to be a “world of politics” when clubs talk to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). This dynamic makes it particularly challenging to fix excessive scheduling problems. Thorpe’s call for action touches upon a critical need. The old model clearly isn’t working for the players, clubs and supporters.
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