Branson keen for urn to stay

Richard Branson outlines his plans for the urn to remain in Australia © Getty Images

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Sir Richard Branson and Ian Botham have reignited the campaign to keep the original Ashes in Australia.

The urn is currently on a rare tour of Australia and was flown out by Virgin Atlantic, of which Branson is chairman.

It is only the third time the Ashes have left the MCC’s headquarters at Lord's since 1927, having been displayed in London’s Victoria and Albert Museum in the 1970s and in Australia in 1988 to mark the country’s bicentenary.

Branson’s new campaign is being backed by both former England captain Botham and his old Aussie adversary Allan Border.

Billionaire entrepreneur Branson said: “Ian and I were talking the other night and, as two Englishmen, we said that it seems wrong that the Ashes should be going back to the UK when England had just lost the series.

“Australia should be proud to have won the Ashes and they should keep them until we can win them back again - and, as the airline that actually sponsored bringing the Ashes down, I also feel uncomfortable about the idea of actually flying the Ashes back to England.

“What we'd like to say is we'd like to start a campaign to keep the Ashes in the rightful place they should be, and if England one day win the Ashes back then we'll be proud to fly the Ashes back to England."

Botham said: "The reaction over here [to the Ashes exhibitions[ has been amazing. This is only promoting the game. It will create more interest and, I hope, get more people playing cricket.

“This [debate] has been going on for as long as I can remember - why should the Ashes stay in England? - and it's a fair point.

“You're playing for the Ashes, and to me it seems a little bit ridiculous. If you're playing for the Ryder Cup or the European Cup then you get the cup.

“I just think that Australia deserve it. If you're playing for the Ashes, the winners should hold the Ashes - and that, to me, is what it's all about."

Allan Border and Ian Botham show support for Branson

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The urn is scheduled to return to England on January 16, and Branson insists his airline will stick to the arrangement should the MCC not agree to his proposal, as expected.

An MCC statement read: “As the tens of thousands of visitors to the MCC Travelex Ashes Exhibition now know, the urn was never intended to be the trophy for the cricket series, and has never changed hands between the two countries.

“It was a private gift to Ivo Bligh, which he kept at his home until he died. To him and his wife - Florence Morphy, an Australian - the urn represented their meeting, romance and subsequent marriage.

“It was Ivo’s wish that it be bequeathed to Marylebone Cricket Club - and Florence carried out that last wish, giving the urn to MCC in 1927.

“The urn will return to Lord’s after the exhibition tour finishes at the end of January.

“The Waterford Crystal MCC Ashes Trophy, which has stood as the perpetual trophy for the contest since 1999, will be presented at the end of the current Test, and will remain in Australia until the next Ashes series.”