First of all. Let's talk numbers. So far the clubs have been valued at around £975m. A number that considers a few different variables and measures; but that's a lot of money for a young tournament that only runs for a month. It's a fantastic hourly rate on that. 

Numbers. So much of cricket is dictated by numbers. Runs, wickets and in the modern game, cold hard cash. Cricket likes cash. So, show me the money:

Just the £520 million floating around there—mere pocket money in the grand scheme. Does this signify a torch pass, from English money to the foreign investment this country so deeply craves? Have we given the keys to our age-old, aristocratic, tea and cake institutions to the big bad businessmen who talk in code? Or, is this just modernity? A few bunts to keep the wolf from the door until we work out how best to market the county game to twelve-year-olds. 

Both options seem as scary as each other. But there is an argument that this, in reality, is good business. Why shouldn’t Cricket get some of the cake? Like anyone cares where the money comes from these days. This investment has already begun to attract the biggest names in cricket; with facilities and funding booming. The suits are here, and it looks like they’re here to stay. Could this be an English cricket ticket back to the big boy table with football?

Who are these faceless millionaires? Behind the money lay the new proprietors of our game. Unfortunately for fans, the power and ownership of their sides are dictated to them. This certainly isn't a democracy. The parallels between football are obvious. But control has never really been with cricket fans. The long heritage of English cricket gives this sale a deeper importance. Are we giving our lovely little game away? It might be time to let old antiquated ideas of ‘tradition’ go and welcome our new, rich overlords in.

English cricket has faced hardship (I mean, nobody's starving let's be honest about that)—accessibility, racism and maybe a lack of direction. So before we begin dissecting the new owners of our tournament, let's remember we live in a glass house ourselves. English Cricket, and those who control it, are far from perfect. It might be nice to have some people in charge that arent middle aged and white. 

So, here come the cavalry; Bentleys and caviar in tow.

Yeah, right now, it just looks like a bunch of numbers and deals. No one has even bowled a ball. But this isn’t just business—it’s cricket shifting under our feet.

For years, English cricket has resisted the private ownership model that’s powered the IPL and other global leagues. Now, half a billion quid has been injected, and suddenly, the game is looking a little less red-ball romantic and a lot more like a boardroom battleground.

The Hundred was built as a shiny new product; a slick, TV-friendly, franchise-style tournament to bring in new fans. But now, it’s in the hands of the richest players in global sport—American investors, Indian conglomerates, and venture capitalists who see cricket as another piece on their ever-growing chessboard.

And that’s the thing—this isn’t just about The Hundred. This is about English cricket’s place in a global sport that’s long been heading towards this moment. The ECB gets a windfall, counties get a lifeline, and grassroots cricket gets a cut. But at what cost?

Foreign investors don’t buy in without expecting something in return. Control. Influence. Change.

So what does it mean for the actual cricket?

English cricket has spent years battling its own traditions. The Hundred was already controversial — and now, with billionaire owners shaping the landscape, the sport is being dragged into the modern world, kicking and screaming.

For better or worse, this is the future.

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Issue: Weekly Picks - It’s All For Sale
Publisher: J. LaLonde
Editor-At-Large: Angus Wilson
Contributing Writer: Ollie Goodwin