The crisis at Sussex has taken a dramatic twist with the publication of an open letter, signed by 26 ex-players, administrators and sponsors, calling for the board to ‘resign in full’ after the club were placed in special measures by the ECB because of financial mismanagement.
The signatories of the letter, seen by Daily Mail Sport, include former captain Chris Adams, ex-Test wicketkeeper Matt Prior and leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed, as well as another ex-captain, Alan Wells, and former chairman David Green.
The letter, released ahead of Monday’s members’ forum at Hove, where chairman Jon Filby, interim chief executive Mark West and head coach Paul Farbrace will be available to take questions, states: ‘We make no allegation of improper conduct. However, in governance, responsibility is defined by outcomes. The necessity of ECB intervention at this level is, in itself, a failure for which the board bears ultimate responsibility.
Matt Prior played for Sussex between 2001 and 2014 and won 79 Test caps for England
‘The continuation of the same board under regulatory supervision is incompatible with restoring confidence. A board cannot credibly lead a reset while being subject to that reset.
‘For players, this threatens the club’s competitive future. For sponsors, it undermines confidence in leadership and governance. For members and supporters, it represents a failure of stewardship.’
It goes on to argue that the ‘current board is now a material barrier to recovery’, and calls for two immediate actions.
Sussex won Division Two in 2024 but recorded an operating loss of almost £300,000 that year
‘First, that the current board of Sussex County Cricket Club resign in full, allowing a clean and independent reset of leadership and the appointment of a board with the confidence of members and stakeholders.
‘Second, we call on members and supporters to actively show their support for this change by publicly endorsing this letter and communicating their position directly to the club in the best interests of Sussex County Cricket Club and its future.’
Sussex, whose three County Championship titles all came between 2003 and 2007, were placed in special measures by the ECB after recording an operating loss of £297,000 for 2024, with a bigger deficit expected once the 2025 accounts are finalised.
They have now entered a three-year financial framework, and will have to repay a structured loan to the ECB by the end of January 2029.
Other conditions imposed by the board include governance reform, ECB oversight at board meetings, a restriction on wages, and the loss of 12 Championship points, as well as points penalties in the T20 Blast and One-Day Cup.
In response to the sanctions, West said: ‘We acknowledge that this has not been good enough. Our responsibility now is to put things right, strengthen how the club is run, and ensure Sussex Cricket moves forward on a more stable and sustainable footing.’