The cricket chiefs are ready to change the Test match history by building an indoor stadium in the United Kingdom.
‘THE SUN’ stated that the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) are set to splash £500million on the groundbreaking project.
London (UK)-based the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is the national governing body of cricket in England and Wales (UK). It was formed on January 1st, 1997 as a single governing body to combine the roles formerly fulfilled by the Test and County Cricket Board, the National Cricket Association and the Cricket Council.
‘THE SUN’ further stated that being able to host games regardless of the weather and the outside Summer are the key reasons behind the idea.
The indoor stadium would be the first in the United Kingdom and the biggest infrastructure project in the English cricket history.
Reports stated that the ECB have been looking at the designs of the Macquarie Point in Australia.
The 23,000-seat state-of-the-art stadium in Tasmania (Australia) is set to be opened in 2029.
Plans for the Macquarie Point contain a naturally ventilated roof that can help in the growth of grass and extend the cricket season.
The architects have analyzed the batting trajectories and will build a roof that is unlikely to be hit.
A stage to host concerts, a huge hospitality area and seating that brings the crowds closer to the field all take center stage in the designs.
There have been rumors it could be built in Manchester as part of the £2bn regeneration of the Premier League team Manchester United F.C.’s home field – the 74,197-capacity Old Trafford in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England (UK).
The plans for a £500m stadium in the United Kingdom are now affordable for the ECB following the recent The Hundred (a 100-ball cricket competition) sales.
A reported £525m was raised after six of the teams auctioned off the shares.
The biggest sale was for the London Spirit (a franchise cricket team in ‘The Hundred’) as 49 percent of the side went for a whopping £145m.
The ECB’s first-class counties were previously £200m in debt.
Scathing Draft Report
A Tasmanian Planning Commission panel (Australia) has released a scathing draft report that slams the proposed Macquarie Point Stadium on economic, planning and social grounds.
It describes the roofed stadium as “overbearing”, that it risks Tasmania’s credit rating, has minimal social and community benefits, and does not serve a purpose as an urban renewal project.
The public has until May 8 to comment on the draft report with a final report expected in September before the Parliament votes on the stadium.
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