Lancashire's chief executive said agents were the main threat to the future of the County Championship. Daniel Gidney, county cricket's longest serving chief executive, criticised agents for not caring about the championship and instead directing players' attention to an ever-increasing number of franchise tournaments.
“There needs to be a more open discussion,” Gidney said as he watched Lancashire come from behind to beat Somerset at Old Trafford, improving their chances of survival and giving Surrey the title. “You can blame the coaches and the administrators but if you're going to blame anyone you should blame the agents… I think the whole of football needs to come together and find a way to support the Championship.”
“England players don't need to play in the Championship and agents don't care about the Championship. More prize money would help and I think we need to find a way to pay four or five players more money – find a way to pay them £200,000 rather than the domestic maximum of £80,000-90,000… and we need to say that contract also includes not playing franchise cricket.”
Lancashire go into Thursday's final round of the Championship with relegation still a strong threat – 15 points behind third-bottom Nottinghamshire and favourites to join already-relegated Kent in Division Two next year. Gidney suggested Lancashire's strength is being weakened by the absence of some players – Liam Livingstone, for example, has not played Championship cricket for Lancashire since 2021, while Luke Wood is with Zimbabwe Afro T10 side Bangladesh Tigers.
Lancashire are fielding an average of six under-22 players in the Championship this year, which Gidney sees as not ideal. “We need at least four or five players. [at Lancashire] There are some players who are not going to play Championship cricket. Some players' bodies just can't cope and some are making choices.”
He criticised the no-objection certificate for having been “weakened” over the past five years and tying his hands as chief executive officer in refusing to allow players to tour franchise competitions. He also praised the Board of Control for Cricket in India's recent decision to order players to play the Ranji Trophy or face losing their international and Indian Premier League contracts.
“Imagine the governing body actually saying that out loud… that was great prioritisation.”It should be pointed out that Indian cricketers do not have a union.
He sympathizes with the players: “They have a career. I'm not denying their ability to make money, but it's out of balance. If the minimum a rookie can earn in a championship is $100, who's going to turn down the opportunity to make more money for less work?”
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This is an issue that the game needs to address immediately.
