The return of live Ashes coverage to terrestrial television after 2013 would cost the sport at least £120 million, English cricket officials will argue after a ten-month review of events reserved for free-to-air broadcasters.

The ECB is expected to demand an independent economic impact study before the Government adds the Ashes to the “crown jewels” list, which includes the Olympics and the football World Cup.

Such a move would prevent the live action being shown exclusively on pay-TV after the expiration of a £300 million four-year contract with BSkyB, the satellite broadcaster 39.1 per cent owned by News Corporation, parent company of The Times.

The ECB argues that protecting the Ashes would threaten its grassroots programme and future investment in the game because free-to-air broadcasters, which struggle to schedule five-day Test matches lasting up to 35 hours, would not pay as much for the rights. The sport’s governing body is also worried about the future of Test match cricket as a commercial product if pay-TV operators could buy only England’s less glamorous fixtures against opposition other than Australia.

Its concerns come as Ben Bradshaw, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, today receives a long-awaited report by David Davies, the former executive director of the FA, which will recommend changes to the way sport is consumed in the digital age.

The report, written by Davies in consultation with an eight-member panel that includes Colin Jackson and Eamonn Holmes, is expected to say that the Ashes’ special “national resonance” warrants its place on the protected list alongside the Wimbledon finals, the FA Cup Final and the Grand National.

All cricket was removed from the list in 1997, the time of the previous review, after the ECB successfully lobbied ministers to be allowed to sell its rights to the highest bidder.

The ECB, which depends on broadcasting for 80 per cent of its income, has argued for the status quo to be maintained especially after no terrestrial broadcaster submitted a bid for the present rights.

But the Davies panel has been asked by ministers to review the principle of the list as well as its content as Britain prepares for analogue switch-off in 2012 when more people will have access to digital TV.

After research in Australia and America, it will recommend a simplification of the list. This may see the scrapping of a B-list relating to highlights. The idea of adding England World Cup football qualifying matches to the list and protecting Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland games has gained support, despite concerns among the national FAs about reduced revenues.

The report is also likely to focus on the responsibilities of “qualifying” broadcasters — at present the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 or Five — to show sports events that are deemed part of the social fabric and a shared moment in the national calendar. With wider digital access after 2012, pay-TV operators may in future fulfil the criteria to bid for protected events if they agreed to broadcast them on their free channels.

However, giving away the juiciest moments of individual sports would devalue the rights packages.

The report will emphasise that the Secretary of State has the right to intervene if a sport were to disadvantaged commercially by the listing of any of its events. The Government will conduct a public consultation of the review’s recommendations, which could take several months.

Ministers will want to ensure any decisions are not open to legal challenge in Britain and pass the European Commission’s public interest test. The issue is politically sensitive — Belgium’s equivalent list is subject to a continuing legal challenge.

Bradshaw could ignore the review’s recommendations but if he chooses to implement changes, he will need to move quickly to amend the legislation before a spring general election.