Traditionalist Andrew Recognises Value Of T20

John Roberts talks cricket’s survival and the rise of the short form game with the new CEO of Sussex.

Walking around his new domain,Rob Andrew is chuckling that they have him down on the Hove internal telephone list as Bob. Otherwise, the new Sussex chief executive is finding it a remarkably smooth jump from his perch at the top of international rugby across to cricket.

Andrew, 54, spent three decades in rugby as a player, capped 71 times for England, and then at the top administering the game until his surprise appointment before Christmas to succeed Zac Toumazi as Sussex CEO.

“I’ve spent the first three months finding out how everything works here,” he said, “but most sports clubs are much the same. I’ve found my way around now and can see that Sussex is a well-run club.

“Rugby and cricket are very similar culturally, with the same kind of people, but perhaps the biggest challenge with cricket is its complexity with three formats of the game.

“Also, you have to deal with players competing in competitions all over the world. And then one joins a Test team and you never see him, so you need to have a useful academy to bring in young players and the one here is pretty strong.”

Biggest googly being bowled to them down on the South Coast is the ECB new city-based T20 contest due to start, naturally, in 2020.

Eight city teams will be involved and as things stand Sussex are not one of the chosen ones.

After a momentous Lord’s meeting last month all 18 counties still have a final postal vote on whether, as looks likely, it goes ahead. However Andrew says firmly: “I leave that to our board. A lot of work has been done on the concept. Sussex have argued all along that certain key things must be protected for all 18 teams, not just the eight.