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Culture secretary Ben Bradshaw will decide before the general election whether Ashes cricket will return to terrestrial television as one of British sport’s ‘crown jewels’.

Bradshaw has provisionally accepted the recommendations of an inquiry led by former executive director of the Football Association David Davies which proposes several additions, including the Ashes, Wimbledon and England football qualifiers, to the list of protected events to be shown on free-to-air TV.

But the plans have upset the England & Wales Cricket Board, which claims the loss of income from the sale of rights to a pay-TV broadcaster such as Sky will damage the grassroots of the game.

Junior minister Sion Simon told MPs on Tuesday (Jan 12): “The Secretary of State has provisionally concluded to accept the recommendations in the report but he is going to consider the implications on sporting bodies and grassroots sport and he has not reached any final views.

“He firmly intends to make an announcement on this before the election even though the consultation process doesn’t close until the first week of March. It’s a tight timetable to do a proper job but that’s clearly his intention.”