London Spirit use huge Hundred windfall to treble spending on off-field talent

• Franchise received £145m for sale of 49% stake

• Previous wages to staff described as ‘embarassing’

The new-look London Spirit are hugely increasing salaries paid to off-field cricket staff in a bid to boost the calibre of recruits when the turbocharged Hundred launches in August. With the competition’s salary cap including only the playing squad, Spirit hope the backroom staff attracted will help the team flourish.

One source described the wages offered to coaches and analysts for the first five years of the competition, when their salaries were funded by the England & Wales Cricket Board, as embarrassing. But Spirit are hoping to benefit from the combination of a massive funding boost after the sale of 49% of the team for £145m to a consortium of entrepreneurs unofficially known as the Tech Titans in last year’s team auction and the pull of life in the English capital to hire staff of sufficient calibre to transform their fortunes. It is understood that their spending on support staff will be trebled. Continue reading...