ECB hit Stanford jackpot

[morlspin]

England could win $1million each as part of Sir Allen Stanford's plans for Twenty20 matches against a West Indies XI.


The American billionaire was at Lord's to launch the five-year scheme that will see one-off matches staged at his own ground in Antigua, the first taking place this year on November 1.

Your View - Twenty20 for $20m

Each 20-over-a-side contest will have a winner-takes-all prize fund of $20m, with each player picked in the starting XI of the victorious side getting $1m apiece.

The rest of the players in the squad who don't participate will share $1m, with the coaching staff also earning the same to split between themselves.

The remaining $3.5m will be shared between the England and Wales Cricket Board and the West Indies Cricket Board.


One night



"It is one night, winner-takes-all $20m," Stanford announced. "The winner goes home happy, the loser goes home unhappy.

"I don't think I'm giving it (the money) away. I'm investing it in cricket's future in the West Indies. As everybody knows we are in a bottom of a trough right now.

"I've been in the Caribbean for 26 years, when you see something that you love so dearly - the glue that binds us together - you want to do everything you can to lift it back up.

"We had to do that by creating something that has never been done before and take the sport of cricket in the Caribbean to a professional level."

Stanford arrived at the ground in a helicopter accompanied by five West Indies legends of the game, while Sir Ian Botham and Sir Viv Richards were also present for the press conference.


Exciting time



Also on stage was England coach Peter Moores, who hailed it as an "exciting time" to be involved with the sport.

"It will be a different sort of pressure for all the players. It is such an exciting time to be involved in the game," he said.

"Here is an opportunity to earn some extra money and that is going to be great for everyone. In modern sport, people know that people get paid differently and you get paid for what you earn the right to.

"If you earn the right to play in that team, you get paid your money.

"The domestic Twenty20 form guide gives the chance to impress and show they can lift up to international level."

[Matt]

Absolutely crazy money isnt it?

Interesting watching the Stanford interview on Sky, he appears to almost intend to destroy test cricket over the next few years (he already has in the West Indies judging by the attendances V Australia this year) and he probably will.

God knows what mess the game will have to clean up when 20/20 has finished with cricket.

I predict within the next 5 years we'll see county squads building for 20/20 and not the county championship, the removal of the four day cricket from the calender (some already hinting at groups and moves to 3 day format) freelance cricketers not tied to any clubs but just travelling the world playing 20/20 for the highest bidder and international cricket not even being a remote part of importance n the international calender.

Cricket had never moved into territory where it has tried so much to please people who dont like cricket............it could be the most dangerous thing its ever done.

[davidmphill]

Couldn't believe it when I read it!!

The guys been trying to 'introduce' 20/20 to the Americans here and the Caribbean tournament has been shown on cable.

You can't blame the ECB for agreeing to this, it would be madness not to.

[GotaFancy?]

Originally Posted by davidmphill

You can't blame the ECB for agreeing to this, it would be madness not to.

Are you calling India and South Africa mad? England were 3rd choice......

Should be captivating viewing though - love the all or nothing format and should make it great to watch - will be interesting to compare the passion and hunger from the players against standard games ......

Too much sport nowadays pays too much to players who fail - riches should be the spoils of the winners

[Matt]

Best atricle I've seen from someone on the cricinfo website, sums up my feelings perfectly.

If there were any doubts remaining as to whether Allen Stanford planned to back up his lofty words with deeds, consider them blown away once and for all. The breezy whirring of his jet-black helicopter's rotor-blades did for that, as he and his cast of all-stars swooped in as if from Antigua itself, to perform a bloodless coup at the very home of English cricket.

Lord's has never before seen anything quite like this. Less than 24 hours earlier, the ground had played host to Archbishop Desmond Tutu, invited by the MCC to deliver the annual Cowdrey Lecture on the Spirit of Cricket. But the traditional values espoused then were nowhere to be seen now, as English cricket put dignity to one side and embarked on the biggest cash-grab the game has ever seen.

Down swooped the chopper, the legend "Stanford" emblazoned in gold letters along the side. It paused momentarily above the square of the Nursery ground, rotated 360 degrees, then came to rest by a freshly painted "H" in the outfield. It's fairly apparent what impression this was meant to give, but the din of the descent was more Apocalypse Now than Opportunity Knocks. Trepidation, slight nausea and wide-eyed intrigue were the overriding emotions for the entourage of journalists invited to witness the dawn of English cricket's brave new era.

As the engines were cut, Stanford emerged triumphant into the light, pointing cheerily into the middle distance in that matey manner so beloved by US presidents, with his entourage following closely behind him. Sir Vivian Richards, Sir Everton Weekes, Richie Richardson, Curtly Ambrose and Desmond Haynes arrived by air, along with the WICB president, Julian Hunte, while Sir Garry Sobers joined them at ground level moments after landing.

By then, the ECB delegation had already marched out to meet him. The chairman, Giles Clarke, led the way, strutting to the middle as if keen to present himself as an equal partner (though General Jodl at Reims came more readily to mind). But it was his sidekick, David Collier, who gave a truer indication of England's standing in this arrangement. He was unable to decide whether handshakes or hugs were appropriate for Texan royalty, and so ended up performing a floppy chest-bump that was exquisite in its awkwardness.



And there is something undoubtedly awkward about all this, although it would be wrong to be out-and-out cynical. Money is something that English cricket desperately needs, both to promote the game domestically and to compete at boardroom level internationally, and let's not forget that, back in 2003, the entire English media (and I include myself) was wrong in its initial impression of the Twenty20 Cup. But in keeping with the Texan connection, there is more than just a hint of cowboy about the way in which the ECB has leapt into bed with the first and highest bidder.

That sense of unease had been fuelled as we waited for the arrival. As various scenarios were speculated upon by the journalists, one of the tabloid reporters stated baldly that Richards and Sir Ian Botham would be making cameo appearances in November's inaugural winner-takes-all game, to provide some "legendary" pizzazz. It soon turned out he was joking, but it was a measure of the moment that no one could seriously write such a suggestion off.

And then there was the décor. All around the Nursery pavilion, placards had been hung on the walls with grand motivational quotes plucked from history. The one that caught my eye came from Rudyard Kipling's "If". "If you can make one heap of all your winnings. And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss," were the chosen lines. The next two words, as if anyone needs reminding are: "And lose". Too much of this arrangement seems out of context with the game that we have known and loved for generations, but Clarke has taken his gambler's instinct and made a break for the big-time.


Stanford's presidential-style arrival at Lord's © Getty Images

At what cost, however, remains to be seen. There's no question that Stanford's involvement with West Indies cricket has been a force for good - the team's recent improved form undoubtedly stems from the improved sense of worth and identity that his competition has brought to the region, not to mention the riches. And yet, English cricket is not flatlining quite so drastically as to require this degree of mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

In fact, there is a fine line between a kiss of life and a smothering, because the greatest fear about the day's events was the one that Stanford singularly failed to allay. When asked his opinion of Test cricket, he responded baldly: "I find it boring, but I'm not a purist." Then, in a sweeping metaphor about the architecture at Lord's, he went on to liken the "1700s" pavilion to the Test game, and the "Eye in the Sky" media centre to Twenty20s. "Test cricket is the foundation, that's where cricket came from. Twenty20 is the future, that's where the money is."

It's not a ringing endorsement for traditional values, and on today of all days, Clarke was not about to leap to Test cricket's defence. "He's more than entitled to his opinions," Clarke retorted. "We've made it very clear how highly we regard Test cricket in this country, we think England is the home of Test cricket." How much longer can this remain the case, however. The only man in Stanford's line-up who spoke out on the old game's behalf was Botham, who also looked as though he'd strolled off the golf course with a Pringle sweater draped over his shoulders. But even his words were lost amid the glitz. Botham, remember, refused to go to the ICC World Twenty20 because he thought the format was a joke. Something's changed his mind, and it's probably the very same thing that has turned the ECB's heads.

Stanford is no fool, but nor is he a philanthropist. He wants a return on his investment, and - as the tagline from Jerry Maguire goes - he expects the ECB to show him the money. With that in mind, he decided to flash the cash himself, and onto the sleek, black, neon-lit stage, he wheeled a vast cabinet full of 50 dollar bills. So that's what US$20 million looks like - it's also what England's future looks like. Nothing about this game is ever going to be the same.