Australia’s leading players could find it harder to get a county gig during Ashes summers as part of the ECB’s plans to win back the urn.
English domestic cricket has regularly provided Australians with a chance to hone their game ahead of series in England, with Steve Smith enjoying a three-match stint at Sussex in 2023, and Marnus Labuschagne turning out for Glamorgan in six of the last seven seasons, including the Ashes summers of 2019 and 2023.
Speaking before the fifth and final Test in Sydney, England captain Ben Stokes admitted: ‘I’ve never really understood it.’
County coaches and executives have long defended the move on the grounds that their own players learn from the imports, while county members are rewarded for their subscriptions by getting to watch some of the best players in the world.
But Daily Mail Sport understands that the ECB will consider using the soft power accrued by the money brought into the domestic game by the sale of the Hundred franchises to persuade counties to place the national side’s interests ahead of their own.
Australia next tour England in 2027, and no stone will be left unturned in the bid to regain the Ashes, which England have not held since the 2017-18 series.
With the £520m Hundred windfall allowing some clubs to pay off long-standing debts, the mood may never have been more amenable to acceding to the governing body’s requests.
And the board have a strong advocate in Stokes, who said: ‘It is odd when you see touring teams or players get given opportunities to play county cricket before a big series. I’ve never really understood it. You never see it anywhere else in the world.
‘I don’t think Australia would sign a visa for one of our lads coming over and playing Sheffield Shield games before an Ashes.’
Stokes also said it was a pity Australia wouldn’t be playing at Headingley in 2027, where England have won three of the last four Ashes Tests.
‘It’s all money isn’t it?’ he said. ‘That’s it. Whoever throws the most money is going to get a game, which is a shame for us as players, because Headingley is awesome to play at, especially in an Ashes game. So it’s a bit of a shame there won’t be a game there.’
The Ashes venues in 2027 will be Edgbaston, Lord’s, Trent Bridge, Southampton’s Utilita Bowl and The Oval.
