Richard Gould, the chief executive of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), has underlined the commercial and cultural importance of the upcoming five-Test series between England and India, calling it a contest on par with the Ashes. With England experiencing a subdued cricket summer in 2024, Gould is banking on India’s visit in 2025 to rejuvenate fan interest and boost stadium attendance.
Gould pointed to last year's Olympics and UEFA Euro tournaments, which dominated attention, leading to low turnouts even at prestigious venues like Lord’s, despite England winning their series against Sri Lanka. In contrast, he believes the India series offers a rich, narrative-driven experience.
“It is a proper long-read,” Gould said. “There will be subplots, and sub-subplots... It is a huge summer.”
Despite key Indian veterans like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and R Ashwin having recently stepped away from Test cricket, Gould remains confident that India’s status as a global powerhouse will ensure the series remains a major event. The series will also mark the start of the 2025–27 ICC World Test Championship cycle.
Calling the India series commercially equivalent to the Ashes, Gould also expressed optimism about Test cricket’s growing relevance, especially with the return of five-match series, a format not frequently scheduled in recent years.
On the World Test Championship (WTC) final, which England has hosted three times, Gould acknowledged the ECB’s interest in continuing as host, but remained open to rotating venues.
“We don't think we've got any absolute right to be the continual host… But the worry is if you move it and end up with two neutral teams and no crowd, the whole thing could deflate quickly.”
He concluded by reaffirming that while the WTC is important, series like the Ashes and India-England Tests are just as valuable, both competitively and commercially, to English cricket.
