LONDON: The owners of Lord’s denied today that they were considering selling the naming rights to the famous cricket ground.

The chief executive of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), Keith Bradshaw, said there was “no way” they would rebrand the home of cricket as part of a multi-million-pound redevelopment. “I just want to reassure people that there’s no way we would rename Lord’s,” Bradshaw told BBC radio, denying a report in The Times newspaper.

“It’s the home of cricket, the hallowed turf. It’s not an option at all. It’s something that we wouldn’t consider, and in fact I even have a real problem even considering renaming the stands within the ground that are now dedicated to famous cricketers. It’s not on the agenda, it’s not on the cards and there’s no way we’ll be going down that path.”

The Times reported the ground could be turned into a super-stadium and its naming rights sold to a sponsor as part of a £400 million redevelopment.

The revamp is designed to increase seating by about 7,500 and create an underground cricket academy, a brasserie and a bigger museum, it said. The redevelopment would be funded partly by selling luxury flats around its periphery for up to £1.2 million. Although sponsoring sporting grounds is not new, the idea of renaming historic Lord’s is hugely controversial. The Lord’s revamp could also offer naming rights for the ground’s seven stands, which are currently named after famous cricketers, The Times said.