DAVID Lloyd believes there should be no doubts over Old Trafford's Test match future, despite the decision not to award Lancashire an Ashes fixture in 2009.
The former England and Red Rose coach was surprised by the ECB's controversial decision to leave Old Trafford off the list in favour of Glamorgan's Sophia Gardens.
"It is a massive blow, not just for the club but for the fans as well," said Lloyd. "The north west is a massive cricketing area, there probably isn't a bigger one.
"But the decision shows that Old Trafford is vulnerable as a Test match venue, and unjustly so in my opinion.
"Old Trafford is an excellent stadium when you consider Test venues worldwide. It has excellent transport access from so many different angles and has acres of car parking, and that is not the case at other grounds.
"Like every other ground, it has its minuses, but it has many more pluses. It should never be the case that Old Trafford ceases to be a Test match venue."
Conditions
Lancashire's head groundsman Peter Marron was praised by England coach Duncan Fletcher last year for the condition of the practice facilities and the pitch was given the highest mark given to a Test match wicket at Old Trafford.
And Lloyd, who captained the county, feels the famous old ground provides some of the best Test match cricket.
"In a purely cricket perspective, every year the best Test pitch is at Old Trafford," he said. "It always lasts five days and always produces an interesting game."
Lancashire will find out the cost of re- developing Old Trafford at a meeting with architects on Monday. Chief executive Jim Cumbes, who's also held talks with Trafford Borough Council, is due to meet Wigan Council next week over a proposed move.
But they won't be able to put a recommendation to the members, who will make the final decision on whether to stay until August.
The club are loath to spend money on the stadium until a decision on its future has been made, but that hasn't stopped them improving the ground.
"Over the last four years we have invested around é750,000 purely on facilities for international cricket," said Cumbes. "We have new ground equipment, new nets, new drainage and irregation system in the outfield, and new dressing rooms.
"As a county we benefit from that, as do other visiting teams, but it was mainly an investment in international and not domestic cricket."
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Fine words about the pitch or Old Trafford traditions should not disguise the fact that the Lancashire committee have fallen asleep on the job. It is obvious to anyone with eyes to see that the ground is in a sad state and it must be two years now since Sir Howard Bernstein suggested a move to a new stadium at Eastlands on very attractive terms. The committee have let down the North West sporting public and should resign en masse, closely followed by those members (most of them) caught in a time warp.