The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) may not sell all of The Hundred franchises within the next year and is willing to withhold some from the market if offers fall short of their expected value.
Chair Richard Thompson emphasized that the ECB doesn’t want to feel “bounced into selling” the franchises prematurely if better deals could be secured by waiting.
Chief executive Richard Gould revealed that the ECB has been in talks with “about 100” potential investors interested in acquiring 49.9% stakes in the eight Hundred teams.
These parties include significant interest from India, the U.S., other sports organizations, and investment groups. Gould noted that while some interest may not be serious, “it’s a good number.”
Next week, formal offers will be requested as the sale process advances, though the ECB is prepared for the possibility that not all franchises will receive acceptable bids.
Gould stated that they would not rush the process and are flexible with the timeline: “Some deals will progress faster than others. If not all are finalized by next summer, that’s fine. We may choose not to sell them all at once.”
Thompson added that the outcome could involve selling a portion of the franchises, saying, “It could be a hybrid, it could be five and three. We don’t want to rush and regret not holding out for better offers.”
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Name of Author: Cricexec Staff
