The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is reportedly considering building a £500m (€597m/$648m) indoor stadium that would be capable of hosting Test matches and other events throughout the year.
The Times has reported that the ECB is monitoring the proposed development of a new AFL venue in Hobart, Tasmania, which is set to become the world’s largest timber-roofed stadium.
The Hobart stadium (pictured) has been designed by Cox Architecture and would have a capacity of 23,000. It is hoped that the stadium will house a new AFL franchise that is due to enter the competition in 2028, and it would also be capable of hosting cricket matches.
According to The Times, the ECB is interested in the ambitious project after raising around £550m from selling stakes in The Hundred franchises. A roofed stadium would provide the ECB with an indoor venue to host Test matches during periods of adverse weather.
ECB chairman Richard Thompson has backed the project and suggested Manchester as a potential location for the roofed stadium, with Lancashire’s Emirates Old Trafford the most-affected venue when it comes to rain impacting play.
“It has to happen and the stats point to there [Manchester] as a venue,” Thompson said.
The report adds that the ECB could assume ownership of the roofed stadium, with ticket revenue to potentially be used to repay any borrowing.
In January, an independent report from economist Nicholas Gruen warned that the Hobart project could end up costing more than A$1bn (£486m/€581m/$630m). It came after the Macquarie Point Development Corporation (MPDC) submitted its application for the stadium back in September, when the price tag had risen to A$775m.
Cox has designed several leading venues in Australia, including the Adelaide Oval, Perth’s Optus Stadium, and Allianz Stadium in Sydney.
