It was announced this morning that Hampshire County Cricket Club had signed a “Definitive Acquisition Agreement” with GMR Group, a company headquartered in New Delhi that also invests in IPL franchise the Delhi Capitals. Chairman Rod Bransgrove has agreed that GMR will acquire a majority stake immediately with a view to acquiring 100% of the Club over the next 24 months.

The deal is a pioneering one in English cricket terms. No other county has undergone a takeover of this manner by an international Group. Bransgrove, who is credited by many for saving Hampshire from the brink of peril after taking over in the year 2000, will remain in place for two years to oversee the transition. 

The timing is interesting. The ECB have announced that the Hundred franchises are to be put up for sale in the near future, and Indian investment was considered by many to be inevitable. In acquiring the holding company directly, GMR have effectively purchased 51% of Hampshire’s Southern Brave franchise without having to compete with other bidders. That gives them control of the franchise but, more importantly, may deter owners of the other IPL franchises from bidding for the other 49%.  

GMR will seek to expand upon their global brand. All of their cricket teams are named ‘Capitals’ – even those in Pretoria and Dubai. A similar move may be hard to justify in the UK and in Hampshire in particular, unless they plan on building a new state of the art stadium in Winchester. It remains to be seen how the synergy between the ‘Capitals’ teams develops over the next few years. Some have suggested that players’ contracts could be carried across the franchise leagues, meaning that a player who represents Delhi Capitals in the IPL would be likely – or even obliged – to represent Pretoria Capitals, and Hampshire or the Southern Brave. The thought of Rishabh Pant appearing on the south coast is a mouthwatering one.

With or without Pant, Hampshire fans will be hoping that the success they’ve enjoyed under Bransgrove’s leadership can be developed even further. In white ball cricket, Hampshire have enjoyed a record-equalling three titles in the T20 blast. But in red ball cricket, a first title since 1973 continues to elude them, despite strong finishes during Bransgrove’s tenure, particularly under the leadership of captains Shane Warne and James Vince.

Ultimately, the wider impact of this deal on and off the field remains to be seen. If I were a Hampshire fan I’d be excited – with a Capital E.

 

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By Leon Parrott