Cricketers’ union warns men’s English domestic schedule is ‘unsustainable’

The men’s domestic schedule is “unsustainable” and “in need of reform”, the Professional Cricketers’ Association says. It has urged the England and Wales Cricket Board to make changes.

The County Championship, Vitality Blast and One-Day Cup fixtures for 2024 were released on Thursday, alongside Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Trophy and Charlotte Edwards Cup ties in the women’s game.

The County Championship begins on 5 April and runs until 26 September, with nearly a two-month break from late June to accommodate shorter formats. In a significant shift, most T20 Blast matches will be played between Thursday and Sunday.

The PCA issued a statement in response, voicing concerns over player welfare and what it called an “unrelenting” men’s schedule involving “dangerous travel windows”, saying: “There is a feeling from the player body that the game is prioritising commercial revenue over player welfare.”

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The PCA chief executive, Rob Lynch, said: “On a day that is full of excitement and anticipation, the announcement of the 2024 fixtures is a reminder that the men’s domestic calendar in England and Wales is unsustainable and is in need of reform for the interests of current and future professional cricketers and therefore the future of our game.

“We are aware the ECB acknowledges the schedule is not ideal and following recent game-wide conversations, we understand the game has an ambition to look seriously at the 2025 fixture list.

“We have heard this commitment in the past and the professional game has not delivered. Collectively, we need to act to advance player welfare to future-proof our sport and the PCA wishes to fully collaborate with the ECB and game to make this a reality.”

The controversial introduction of the Hundred – which was due to begin in 2020 before being postponed by Covid-19 – further congested the domestic programme. But it was details of tightly packed T20 and four-day matches that drew a strong response from the PCA on Thursday.

The Gloucestershire bowler and PCA representative, David Payne, said: “There is a belief that the unrelenting fixture list means players have to pick and choose between formats and this will likely accelerate without minimum standards such as rest, recovery and preparation between games. Looking specifically at our fixtures at Gloucestershire, there are a number of occasions that do not allow appropriate time between fixtures.

“Finishing a T20 game late on a Thursday night in Cardiff, followed by playing another T20 the following night in Bristol, and expecting to be at peak condition to play a four-day game at Scarborough on the Sunday morning is one example. This sort of scheduling simply does not allow for high performance, or look after the welfare of the players.”

Sam Cook of Essex, also a PCA representative, said: “My biggest issue is the welfare of players and support staff being disregarded, particularly with regards to travel throughout high-intensity periods of T20 cricket.

“This has been repeatedly stressed in numerous PCA summits and, despite this, the schedule still provides the same problems by not focusing on player welfare.”