Rishi Sunak calls on PM Andy Burnham to restore £35m pledge for cricket domes

Former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has called on current Prime Minister Andy Burnham to restore the £35 million funding promise he made for constructing cricket domes across the country. Sunak pledged the money in 2024 to create 22 such facilities, but the Labour government later scrapped the funding, calling it "fantasy" when they took over.

Since then, the government has invested only £4.5 million in building seven domes, according to Sunak. In the MCC Cowdrey Lecture at Lord’s, Sunak urged Burnham to fully restore the funding, emphasizing the growing demand for cricket and the success of the three domes already built. The cricket domes are part of the England and Wales Cricket Board's strategy to increase access to the sport, which has become heavily concentrated in fee-paying schools.

Sunak also made light of recent controversies within the England men's Test team during his lecture, including captain Ben Stokes' departure due to excessive drinking.