Durhamfootman wrote:Something a number of us have known for a few years now, but this is the first time anyone has called Graves out on this, afaik.
Maybe Yorkshire got a decent amount of internationals is because Headingley got top marks for customer experience and the wicket, not to mention 56,005 attending last years Windies test, along with good advanced sales for forthcoming internationals. The India ODI is already sold out, 1st 3 days of the Pakistan test on course to be sold out.
I find the below quote laughable
"And did he excuse himself from the room during all the meetings that decided the new T20 competition was to involve eight teams based at the largest eight venues? Because the decision to include Yorkshire - who have failed to exploit the growth of T20 as well as several domestic rivals - guarantees them an income and power that might, once again, reasonably be argued to help them meet their financial commitments."
T20 Blast crowds have grown significantly in the last five years, last years Blast average attendance was 9,200. Domestic ticket sales (not including memberships) and hospitality revenue have risen from £500,000 to just under £1.1 Million in the same period. There is a possibility of sell out crowds in other Blast matches.
Then there is producing players for the England team, as well as club cricket in Yorkshire still going strong. Maybe the above reasons are why Yorkshire got a good allocation of international matches along with Headingley being a City T20 venue.