India Test series on par with Ashes in terms of commercial importance: ECB chief
Richard Gould, chief executive of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), believes the forthcoming five-match Test series against India holds commercial significance on par with the iconic Ashes. Gould is banking on the contest to recapture the imagination of English fans following an underwhelming international summer in 2024.Last year, the country's sports fans were captivated by the Paris Olympics and the UEFA Euro - Europe's premier international football tournament. In contrast, the sight of empty seats at Lord's following England's series win over Sri Lanka reflected a worrying dip in cricket's appeal. With the hugely popular Indian team touring, Gould expects a strong resurgence in attendance and enthusiasm.advertisement"We know how big it is. It is a huge summer," Gould was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo. "Last summer, there were all sorts of things happening all over the place, weren't there?
"I think that is one of the great things about a five-Test series: it is a proper long-read; it's something that people can get really into. There will be subplots, and sub-subplots. There will be all sorts of issues over that six-week period," Gould added.While prominent Indian stars such as Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and R Ashwin may have retired from Test cricket in recent months, India's status as a cricketing powerhouse ensures the series remains a marquee event."Certainly, in terms of commercial importance," Gould said, drawing a direct comparison with the Ashes.The upcoming series also kicks off a fresh chapter in the 2025–27 ICC World Test Championship (WTC) cycle for both teams. India, who have not won a Test series in England since 2007, last toured in 2021–22 when the series ended 2–2.advertisementGould was also excited about the revival of longer Test engagements."There's been lots of discussion about short formats, but Test cricket is doing quite a resurgence in its own way," he noted."Particularly with the five-Test series: we're seeing more of those than we have done for a long time."On the future of the WTC finals, Gould believes England retains a unique edge. The country has hosted all three WTC finals so far, and the ECB chief sees compelling reasons for that trend to continue."The WTC, for us, is not the be-all and end-all. Because we also enjoy the Ashes, and we will enjoy the India series," Gould said, speaking before last week's final between Australia and South Africa at Lord's."We don't think that we've got any absolute right to be the continual host of the WTC (final), but there are advantages to having it here. Irrespective of who gets into the final, we will sell it out... We're probably the only member nation within the ICC that could deliver that."We recognise that perhaps others would like to take it around the world at some point... But the worry is if you move it, end up with two neutral teams, and don't get a crowd, the whole thing could devalue and deflate pretty quickly."
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