TV money needs investing across that gender gap

The ECB today announced a new seven-year deal with ESPN STAR Sports (ESS) for the exclusive multi-platform rights to broadcast ECB's domestic and home international programme across all the broadcaster's territories in Asia, the Middle East and North Africa.

ESS are the ECB's current broadcast partner in the region, having held the contract for the past five years.

The new agreement, which runs from 2013 to 2019, will encompass more than 300 days of live international cricket, including India's next two tours to England in 2014 and 2018 and three home Ashes series scheduled for 2013, 2015 and 2019.

As well as covering all England's home Investec Tests, NatWest Series and NatWest International T20 fixtures, the deal will also give ESS the right to transmit 60 days' coverage every season from all ECB's key domestic competitions: the LV=County Championship, Clydesdale Bank 40 and Friends Life t20 competitions plus selected England Lions, England Under-19s...

...and lastly (and I suspect leastly) England women's matches. We need to channel more of this cash and more of this attention into the female game. But the ECB chefs still seem intently focused on the lucrative men's tests and one-day internationals.

But the cricket chiefs are not tuning in.

ECB Chief Executive David Collier said: "This new agreement demonstrates the enormous appetite for cricket worldwide and the global pulling power of a successful England team and a vibrant county game.

"In a challenging economic climate with all sports facing tough competition for funding streams, it will also provide an important source of additional revenue for funding the development of our game at all levels.

"TV audiences for cricket are expanding rapidly in Asia and the Middle East and we look forward to working closely with ESS to give both our international and county teams the widest possible TV exposure over the next seven years."

The next seven years is important and audiences are expanding rapidly, but not just across countries and continents, there is also the ever widening gender gap that still exists in a sport owned by men.

A little investment would go a long way in the women's game, we need to move beyond the boundaries of the occasional highlights package from a one-day international. That are some skillful players out there that deserve the coverage and the plaudits.

After all, England's women are one of the most successful teams of all time.

What is wrong with a keeper that can bat...?

England one day squads announced. But Craig Kieswetter still gets the nod over Steven Davies.

What has the Surrey man got to do to get selected over the Somerset pretender?

He leads the premier one day side in the country at the Oval, after helping Surrey to win the CB40 and staying unbeaten so far this year, yet his quickfire contributions this season remain ignored.

Kieswetter's Taunton colleagues are languishing at the bottom of the same group having lost four games.

We know cricket is not a one man sport, the Somerset man averaged 57 in 2011, Davies managed just 30, but the balance of glove power has shifted.

Davies now averages 38, perfectly respectable at the top of the order - Kieswetter averages a little over 8.

The pressure must be on if the Somerset player doesn't get the required runs.

Mind you, what is wrong with Matt Prior...?

Kartik set for Surrey debut...he will be a match winner

Team Director Chris Adams has named a thirteen man squad for Surrey’s three Clydesdale Bank 40 games over the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Bank Holiday weekend.

Surrey’s three Group B games come inside four days beginning with a trip to the SWALEC Stadium on Saturday to take on the Welsh Dragons. They then return to the Kia Oval on Sunday to play the Hampshire Royals and on Tuesday the Scottish Saltires are the visitors to the Kia Oval to complete the three game run.

Murali Kartik comes straight into the squad having arrived this week to join up with Surrey as the overseas professional until the end of the season. Zafar Ansari is unavailable for the three games due to commitments at Cambridge University.

Chris Adams commented: “We are delighted to welcome Murali Kartik to the club. He is a proven match winner in all forms of the game and we are really looking forward to having him available for us until the end of the season. He will bring an extra dimension to our squad and his experience will be invaluable in the dressing room.

“This run of three games in four days is a critical period in our CB40 campaign. If we can win all three then we will have put ourselves in a very strong position in Group B. That is our aim and we are confident because we have already played some excellent cricket in the competition this season which has seen us win our three opening games.  We are looking forward to the challenge of the next few days”.

The Surrey Squad for the Clydesdale Bank 40 games against the Welsh Dragons on Saturday 2^nd June, the Hampshire Royals on Sunday 3^rd June and the Scottish Saltires on Tuesday 5^thJune:

Rory Hamilton-Brown (capt)

Steven Davies

Jason Roy

Tom Maynard

Zander de Bruyn

Matthew Spriegel

Gareth Batty

Murali Kartik

Jon Lewis

Stuart Meaker

Jade Dernbach

Gary Wilson

Tim Linley