The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is forecasting losses of tens of millions of pounds next year despite hosting the Ashes, with county executives told last week that the deficit could be as large as £50m.

The anticipated shortfall, after posting a profit of £12.6m in 2025, is due to a combination of the cyclical nature of the governing body’s media revenues, which is largely determined by domestic opposition, and a recent decision by the International Cricket Council (ICC) to withhold a portion of the broadcast payments owed to members that it had been due to distribute in 2027.

The ECB had noted in its 2025 accounts published in May that it was expecting a “significant loss” in 2027 due to the absence of home matches against India, but that figure is now far higher than expected, which is causing concern among the counties.

Ten of the 18 first class counties recorded losses in their most recently published accounts, and the vast majority are reliant on ECB funding to ensure they remain going…