ECB insist The Hundred has future despite managing director exit
The England and Wales Cricket Board have said there is still a future for The Hundred despite the competition’s managing director Sanjay Patel was announced as leaving the organisation.
Patel will step down from the franchise competition at the end of this year’s season, the third since its inception.
Richard Gould, ECB chief, said: “I’d like to thank Sanjay for all his work and dedication at the ECB over many years, and wish him the very best for the future.
“There’s no doubt that The Hundred has been a success, helping cricket reach new audiences, bringing in important revenue and propelling the game forwards. It plays an important role in our game and I’m looking forward to a very long and successful future for The Hundred.”
There have been reports suggesting that the franchise competition, which gets underway in August, is suffering financially.
A report last week stated that the competition lost £9m in its first two seasons.
“I would particularly like to thank my whole team for their hard work and dedication in launching the competition,” Patel said. “I will always be grateful for their support and friendship. We have come a long way in a short space of time and it is down to their brilliance.
“I will miss this job and the people immensely but once we’ve completed the third season of The Hundred I believe the time will be right for me to look for a new adventure.”
The competition gets under after the Ashes series on 1 August and will conclude on 27 August with a double header final for the men and the women at Lord’s.