On 1 December, Kevan led a Westminster Hall debate on the decision by the England and Wales Cricket Board to sanction Durham County Cricket Club.
The decision by the ECB means Durham will start next season in Division Two of the County Championship on minus 48 points, stripped of the right to host Test cricket and given a string of financial sanctions as agreed conditions to the governing body’s £3.8m bailout of the club in October.
Kevan described the treatment of the Club by the England and Wales Cricket Board as a “scandal” and urged the sport’s governing body to publish the method by which the punishment was calculated.
Kevan stated that, while Durham were in financial difficulty, the club has not actually gone bankrupt and therefore ECB regulations, which he has obtained through a source inside the governing body, should not have been applied.
Speaking in his debate, Kevan said:
“I don’t think openness and transparency is what comes to mind when it comes to the ECB.
“The regulations should be public documents. What have they got to hide, unless they are trying to cover something up?”
Later on in the debate, which was attended by a number of MPs, Kevan said:
“The way this has been done is a scandal. Loyal fans who have supported the club over many years through a passionate love of cricket have been completely disregarded.
“You have to ask, what is the purpose of the ECB? Is it to protect interests and act a cosy club? Or is to support those people who want active involvement in cricket? That is the clear question. This type of secrecy and lack of transparency in 2016 cannot continue.”
At the end of the debate, Kevan called for a meeting with the Sports Minister to
discuss in more detail not only Durham, but wider governance and the ECB, and the funding situation in cricket.
To read the debate in full click here: https://goo.gl/eTPJ4L
To watch the debate click here:
http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/c0e4b474-8cc2-4e28-a11d-ee42d56…
(Kevan’s debate begins at 15:00:26)