Yorkshire County Cricket Club warned that the future of Headingley as an int'l venue "could be at risk" if Leeds City Council "does not take urgent funding decisions to invest in the stadium," according to Elizabeth Ammon of the LONDON TIMES. The club is "concerned" that further delays to the proposed £38M ($46.7M) development of Headingley will not only result in it losing int'l cricket, "it will also mean the ground not being a venue for the 2019 World Cup or the proposed new city-based T20 competition." Yorkshire CEO Mark Arthur said, "We have been working on this redevelopment plan for three years and we are now at a crunch point. Work on the new stand needs to start straight after this summer's Test match for us to be ready for the 2019 World Cup and we really don't know if that is going to be achievable." The development is "primarily of the stand that backs on to the rugby ground that is shared" by Super League side Leeds Rhinos and Championship rugby club Yorkshire Carnegie, which are "part-funding the development." There is a "huge gap in the finances that is stopping the work from going ahead." Arthur added, "Our partners, Leeds Rugby, have written to Leeds City Council to make them aware of the very real deadline. It seems to be falling on deaf ears. We are so far behind other grounds" (LONDON TIMES, 3/3).
