'We know how big it is' - ECB Chief regards England vs India on par with Ashes in generating revenue

Richard Gould spoke about the importance of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy in terms of generating revenue for the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). Gould regarded the series between England and India in the league of the Ashes. The ECB Chief opened up on how things did not pan out as well as they would have liked in the 2024 season.

Gould was aware of the fact that big tournaments worldwide, such as the Paris Olympics and the Euros, meant there was a lack of turnout for the English home summer. He felt a long series like the one between India and England could help people get involved in for six weeks or so. Gould claimed that Test cricket has been resurging in the last few years.

"We know how big it is. It is a huge summer. 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 said, as quoted by ESPNCricinfo.

"Certainly, in terms of commercial importance. There's been lots of discussion about short formats, but Test cricket is doing quite a resurgence in its own way. Particularly with the five-Test series, we're seeing more of those than we have done for a long time," the ECB Chief added in his statement.

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Gould shares his views on England being favourites to host WTC Final

Furthermore, Richard Gould claimed that the World Test Championship is not the end of the world for England. Gould felt the series between England and India, and the Ashes, hold high relevance, just like the WTC. He then opened up on England hosting all WTC Finals and claimed it was not their right. However, he claimed that England's ability to sell out Test matches makes them a favorite to host the WTC Finals.

"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. 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," Gould added.

"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," Gould concluded in his statement.