Exclusive: Keith Bradshaw interview
Date released: 12 September 2007
MCC Secretary & Chief Executive Keith Bradshaw took time out from his busy schedule to talk to one of our volunteer commentators, Terry Blake, during the Cockspur Cup Final on 11th September. Keith covered topics from floodlit matches to World Championship bids.
Following the first ever floodlit match at Lord's, Terry asked Keith how the match had gone from an MCC point of view and whether this was a lead-up to bidding for the forthcoming Twenty20 World Championship matches.
"From what I understand, there will be three host grounds for the World Championships." Keith said. "We're very hopeful of being one of those grounds."
"We believe the World Championship Final should be held at 'The Home of Cricket'."
Floodlights & the future
Talking more about the specifics of the floodlights, the interview moved on to MCC's plans for the future:
"We've learnt a lot from just having the floodlit match. We are looking at the idea of permanent floodlights - possibly retractable lights.
"We don't want huge towers which would change the look and feel of the Ground."
"I sent a team to Copenhagen to investigate retractable lights that work like a telescope, that they have at a football stadium there."
"We've also looked at in-house lights like at other football stadiums - we've left no stone unturned."
"We're working closely with the council and local residents, who have somewhat of a mixed view. But we had some very positive feedback from the recent floodlit match."
"Permanent lights at Lord's would be very different from the temporary ones we had for that game."
Keith and Terry talk cricket Terry then asked Keith about his and MCC's role, working with and alongside the ICC and ECB.
The conversation then moved on to MCC's role in the development of the game:
"We've a number of research projects underway at the moment." Keith said.
"I wouldn't like to see us moving down the path of other sports. Sports such as tennis or golf, where the advent of carbonfibre and graphite shafts have certainly changed the dynamics of the game in the way that it's competed."
"We don't want to see a situation where a cricket bat, if you mistime a shot, the ball suddenly sails out of the ground for six."
"And we don't want to see balls, all of a sudden, swinging six to eight feet not because of the craft of the bowler but because of the technology of the ball."
Audiences & Olympics
The two then discuss MCC's plans for the future of Lord's, making the venue open to a wider audience, with ventures like the recent Shakespeare performance and the prospects of an ice-rink.
"We're always looking to make Lord's open to a wider audience, it's a great venue. But we're always keenly aware of the history and tradition of this great ground. Much as we want to diversify, you'll never see an AC/DC concert here for example!"
More was said about future plans and possibilities, not least the upcoming London Olympics in 2012, when Lord's will be hosting the archery competition.
There was even the suggestion of developing underneath Lord's, the prospect of an underground academy!
Moving on to the future, the subject of the staging agreement with the ECB, inevitably arose:
"There's been some speculation and some discussion, certainly at the ECB and around the counties that Lord's should only have one Test." Keith said.
"That's something we're going to fight against with great vigour."
"To have a sporting icon like Lord's... it would almost be insane to take a Test match away. To me it would be like playing Wimbledon at Eastbourne."
Keith mentioned the recently published London Economics study, which showed the huge value Lord's brings to the local and London economy - some £30m a year.
He also discussed how MCC reinvest its share of those monies into improving facilities, citing the relaid pitch (which proved its worth during the recent Test match) as an example.
Finally, Terry asked him about his own future:
"I feel I'm very much a steward. I want to make sure that what I hand over to my successor is better than I started with - much as my predecessors have done before me."
