Understanding the Psyche of English Cricket Fans
Thursday 09 October 2025 7:00 am
| Updated:
Wednesday 08 October 2025 1:50 pm
An invitation from the England and Wales Cricket Board arrives, forwarded by Middlesex Cricket. A survey no less, and one with a laudable aim – to find out what it would take to entice the respondent to take up or extend membership of their favoured cricket county.
It starts with questions about age, gender and ethnicity before moving onto the key matters at hand. What a way to irk cricket’s heritage fanbase!
In parsing its population from the off, the ECB has played into the hands of those who accuse it of sidelining traditionalists at the expense of potential new adherents to the game. It’s a clunky approach that overlooks the ability of the simplest computer to segment data whatever order it is provided in.
“We strive to become the most inclusive team sport in England and Wales.”
The ECB’s Game-Wide Review Survey
Click through the Review Survey’s pigeon-holing questions (choosing the “prefer not to say” option if you wish) and you are presented with the opportunity to state what versions of cricket you like to watch, how often and on which days of the week, as well as which first-class county might claim your allegiance (you can’t choose more than one, which is a surprisingly old-school constraint).
The nitty gritty of the survey should at least give each of the 18 counties some insight into the levers they might pull to increase their members.
These typically number in the few thousands for those counties that don’t host international matches and therefore can’t offer the perk of early access to tickets to watch England’s teams. And those thousands have dwindled over time.
Most possible purchase triggers seem covered by the questions, from better on-field team performance to discounts on food and drink and member voting rights.
Out of curiosity and in the interests of writing this column, I completed the survey a few times, both for Middlesex (my original cricketing allegiance where I was a member as a kid) and Sussex (my adopted home). Apologies to both for skewing the data with multiple replies.
What I found was that the ECB was not asking me the questions I wanted to answer. I am no cricket nut – I watch England as often as Sussex – nor am I a county member. But I feel the tension within the game in every conversation I have about it with anyone who cares, and it is clear that simple refinement of its product is not enough.
Alternative Questions
These, then, are the unscientifically constructed dozen questions that my survey would ask in an attempt to mine the psyche of cricket fans, old and new:
- On a scale of 1 to 10 (with a Spinal Tap-esque answer of 11 allowed) how much do you love cricket in all of its forms?
- Boycott or Brook, and why?
- Have you found yourself watching The Hundred in spite of yourself, simply because you need your fix in August?
- What would it take to cement an allegiance to a team in The Hundred alongside a love for your chosen county? Would choosing the new name and kit to go with the franchise’s new co-owners help (and if your team is the London Spirit, could there be any alternative to egg-and-bacon stripes)?
- When you take a first-timer with you to a County Championship match, what do you genuinely think it looks like through their eyes?
- How many of the England men’s and women’s T20 teams can you name? Can you also recite their counties? What about their franchises in The Hundred?
- Does player welfare bother you, or do you tune out when the Professional Cricketers’ Association calls for a lighter fixture list?
- If you’re the type who pays over £100 for a day at a Test match but doesn’t take up a free entry offer for a day at a County Championship game, how do you look your bank manager in the eye?
- If your favourite county went bust and dropped out of the first-class structure, could you pivot to an alternative? How much would a disappearing county elsewhere bother you?
- If the private investors into English cricket make huge financial returns will you thank them for saving the game or curse them for making money off the back of your passion?
- Does it bother you that the kids in Field of Dreams don’t know who Freddie Flintoff is (or perhaps you think it’s just a trick of the edit for dramatic effect)?
- Will T20 be the only format of the professional game in 10 years’ time? No? How about 25 years then?
Choking on Too Much Product
English cricket is choking itself with too much product. It risks alienating core supporters and confusing possible new ones. Its national sides are being exploited for short term returns, playing through a calendar without seasons like hamsters scampering around a wheel.
Loyalties are being tested – both fans’ and players’ alike – just when wealthy investors are being tempted with financial models built on an assumed bedrock of support for the game. Where there is opportunity there is also risk.
The answer lies in simplicity and clarity. A well-structured calendar with time to breathe for all concerned; a clear narrative that runs through the English summer, with defined high points and a definite end before the southern hemisphere welcomes England’s teams and its franchise tourists.
Less product can mean more meaning and with it more media exposure. Doubt that? Well, imagine the greater focus the current Women’s T20 World Cup would be enjoying had it not started just three days after the end of the County Championship season.
Even if your passion dials up to 11, you still need a rest now and again.
Lost in the Echo
The world’s para athletes would be thrilled with receiving even the muted publicity generated by the Women’s T20 World Cup.
The 2025 World Para Athletics Championships ended in New Delhi at the weekend. Hannah Cockcroft, winner of three of GB’s seven gold medals, bemoaned the sparse attendance when interviewed after her first victory.
“You always hope that people are watching… But it’s hard to believe it when there is no-one in the stands and cheering you on… Hopefully as the week goes on the word will get out and people will want to come and flood the stands and we will have a bit more support come to later events.”
Hannah Cockroft on BBC Sport
That absolutely didn’t happen. These same Championships pulled huge crowds into the London Stadium in 2017. The UK wants to host them again in 2029. If not in Britain, then a city must be found that can generate similar engagement.
The duty of those stewarding disability sport is not simply to secure functional host venues, but to find ones that will reverberate with the joy of a crowd and not the echo of emptiness.
Advocates of an Olympics and Paralympics in India would do well to rewatch the footage from New Delhi and reflect on what it says about the strength of their case.
Ed Warner is chair of GB Wheelchair Rugby and writes his sport column at sportinc.substack.com
Conclusion
In conclusion, the ECB needs to rethink its approach to understanding the psyche of English cricket fans. By asking the right questions and listening to the answers, the ECB can create a stronger, more sustainable future for the game. It’s time to simplify the calendar, reduce the amount of product, and focus on what really matters – the fans and the players.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the main issue with the ECB’s current approach to understanding English cricket fans?
A: The ECB is asking the wrong questions and not listening to the answers. It needs to rethink its approach and ask more relevant questions to truly understand the psyche of English cricket fans.
Q: What can the ECB do to improve its understanding of English cricket fans?
A: The ECB can start by asking more relevant questions, such as those suggested in the article. It can also simplify the calendar, reduce the amount of product, and focus on what really matters – the fans and the players.
Q: Why is it important for the ECB to understand the psyche of English cricket fans?
A: Understanding the psyche of English cricket fans is crucial for the ECB to create a stronger, more sustainable future for the game. By listening to the fans and understanding their needs and concerns, the ECB can make informed decisions that will benefit the game as a whole.
