ECB chairman leads talks into new Asian broadcasting deal

London: England & Wales Cricket Board chairman Giles Clarke began his third term in office by leading negotiations into a new, seven-year, multi-million pound Asian broadcasting deal.

Clarke was unanimously re-elected to lead England cricket for next three years, and he has an idea in his mind for how he wants the England game to be shaped during that time. According to him the Asian broadcasting deal is in nine figures, and is a part of securing the pecuniary future of English cricket, but his to-do list includes broader aims. Clarke has promised an increase in funding of up to the back end of 400 million pounds until the end of 2019 for professional cricket. This implies improving facilities at the National Academy in Loughborough, to produce the coaches of tomorrow, and to ensure Andy Flower’s eventual replacement is English. “We want to ensure Loughborough is fully organised in terms of facilities and we want to make sure we are developing the players and coaches of the future, that is critical,” The Telegraph quoted Clarke, as saying. “We are employing more people within the game as batting and bowling coaches and exporting them around the world. We are becoming a major world center of excellence and that is a fundamental aim because we want to encourage our coaches to have more international experience,” he said. “Mick Newell [Notts coach] has accompanied England and Andy Hurry [Somerset coach] was in the UAE. It is about exchange of ideas but also giving them a glimpse of the international game so our next coach comes from the counties,” he added. ANI