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Turning your eyes inwards

by Neil Burns

Transformation in a person comes when an individual’s desire to change, is inspired from the inside out.

When it comes, it is often because the person has decided upon ‘a re-set’ for themselves after either some deep thinking, or as a consequence of personal crisis. Change rarely comes when life is seemingly ‘ok’.

Systemic change is harder to enact. Organisational change requires a collective will, otherwise any change tends to be cosmetic – and often for political correctness purposes. Deeper change is painful for many, partly because it requires people to turn their eyes inwards and acknowledge that ‘the old self’ needs to be expunged. However, once a genuine commitment to transformational change occurs, the benefits are multiple. The ripple effect of healthy transformational change keeps moving outwards over time.

With this in mind, and with the Black Lives Matter campaign gaining significant traction in the UK and around the world in recent weeks, my sense is that ECB, UK Sport, and many corporations who involve themselves with top sport, want to look into how they may be able to sponsor change more effectively than in the past. 

However, to avoid another era of ‘convenient initiatives’ to mask a deeper underlying problem, I think it is essential that select individuals are invited to the table to express their views about their historical experiences within ‘the cricket family’ to help educate influential administrators make wise decisions about drafting ‘a road map’ to transform the landscape for young people starting out on their cricketing journey.

I believe that every good person would want youngsters to be given excellent all-round opportunity to learn and develop themselves to be able to have maximum impact on the world once they mature.

I believe that every good person would want youngsters to be given excellent all-round opportunity to learn and develop themselves to be able to have maximum impact on the world once they mature. To do so, the education system requires an overhaul. The inequity of opportunity across society is at the heart of many difficulties experienced by young people wanting to build robust foundations in some careers.

In my opinion, the odds are stacked against many people because of the family/school/university/professional networks that have dominated much of English society for decades.   The need for a genuine meritocracy has never been greater. Otherwise, anarchy takes hold.

Cricket, is a sport that offers so much in terms of helping people develop further. Its’ requirement for individual excellence within a team structure and the accountability which comes from each player’s individual numbers being recorded by the scorebook, means there is no ‘hiding place’ for individuals looking to ride on the coat-tails of others in terms of achieving success. The game requires a healthy integration of selfishness and selflessness – and the fact that pitch and weather conditions change the context regularly, means that successful players need to have a range of all-round skills and an ability to be mentally agile to adapt their capability if they are to experience consistent success.

The opportunity for a diverse range of skills to play their part in a team’s success is what helps the game’s appeal to people of all shapes and sizes. Tall, thin, short, wide, fast, slow, wristy batsmen, strong fore-armed batsmen, explosive strength and controlled strength all play their part in making a team’s capability more whole. Similarly, with personality and culture. The more diverse, the more appeal in my book.

Of course, the challenge associated with diversity is the need for excellent leadership – power in the hands of people who hear all the voices and offer good opportunity to everyone to excel.   

Cricket’s major crises have often come about because of the poor financial returns experienced by the people who provide the entertainment – the players.

Cricket’s major crises have often come about because of the poor financial returns experienced by the people who provide the entertainment – the players.

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In the mid 1970’s, Australian media magnate Kerry Packer’s desire to acquire the broadcasting rights to Australian international matches was perfectly timed because the leading players were poorly rewarded. Once Packer decided to form his own ‘circus’ as a breakaway from the established cricketing context, he was ideally placed to sign up professional players who wanted to be paid properly. In doing so, Packer rewarded his players handsomely.

Other major crises have centred around racial prejudice. For example, South Africa’s expulsion from the ICC after their 1969-70, 4-0 series victory over Australia. It came about because of the country’s politics and the abhorrent apartheid regime. At the time, the country’s cricketing capability was arguably at its zenith. Over the next twenty two years, many outstanding cricketers were unable to play international cricket and some found relative solace in county cricket to test their skill and temperament.

International ‘Rebel Tours’ to South Africa, organised by the 1969-70 Test captain turned administrator Ali Bacher, helped maintain the standard of top-level cricket in SA and helped underpin it’s interest in the mind’s eye of a sport-mad nation. It was not until Nelson Mandela was released from prison, and the country’s politics undertook a healthy transformation, did SA return to the international fold in 1991.

Today, SA Cricket is still busy with the challenges of transformation and in particular, a player-drain of white cricketers to other test-playing nations such as New Zealand and England. Due to the affirmative action policy which has been a feature of South African sport, many white cricketers in South Africa feel disadvantaged and have left their mother country.

And, because of the inequity of the ICC’s distribution of funds, coupled with a weak local currency, South Africa’s cricketing prospects have been compromised. In comparison to other test-playing nations such as India, Australia and India, South Africa’s lack of economic muscle is a major handicap to their progress as a cricketing nation.

South Africa and West Indies need to be strong for the game to be beating a healthy heart in two regions which have traditionally enriched the sport with great fast bowlers, brilliant fieldsmen, gifted batsmen and brilliant all-rounders.

This could change, if and when the majority of the population (non-white) receive the benefits from being part of a cricketing culture that historically has been the preserve of the white person. But. In the process, the leadership challenge is the integration of all into ‘the brave new world’. There is little point dis-enfranchising people and their wider families who have been committed to the sport for decades. South Africa and West Indies need to be strong for the game to be beating a healthy heart in two regions which have traditionally enriched the sport with great fast bowlers, brilliant fieldsmen, gifted batsmen and brilliant all-rounders.

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Black Lives Matter:

The recent announcement that West Indies will be wearing the logo of the Black Lives Matter movement on the collar of their shirts during the upcoming series against England is an interesting development. 

It wasn’t too long ago that other respected cricketers (such as Moeen Ali) we’re prevented from making political statements through the wearing of specific clothing and accessories on the field of play. 

Hopefully, the future conduct and ideology of Organisations such as Black Lives Matter will bring important support to a cricket team that became universally admired for their all-round excellence since the days of Sir Frank Worrell’s captaincy.  

Hopefully, the future conduct and ideology of Organisations such as Black Lives Matter will bring important support to a cricket team that became universally admired for their all-round excellence since the days of Sir Frank Worrell’s captaincy.  

As the baton of leadership passed through the hands of legendary cricketers such as Sir Garry Sobers, Clive Lloyd, Sir Vivian Richards and Sir Richie Richardson, the impact of historical figures such as Sir Learie Constantine and Sir Frank Worrell, became more significant to this particular cricket lover. Over time, I have become increasingly interested in the roles played by courageous people who stood for higher ideals in the face of much discrimination.

A recent piece in The Guardian about Sir Learie Constantine’s quality personal example illustrates the societal problems which come from ignorance and a fundamental lack of good education about culture, history and humanity.

The West Indian cricketing great’s initial forays in Lancashire League cricket make for sad reading. But, the man was clearly made of such remarkable physical and mental strength that he won his many and varied battles with remarkably good grace.

I was privileged to be part of an England Young Cricketers Touring Team to West Indies in 1985, and then toured the region in subsequent years with Essex CCC, Somerset CCC, Leicestershire CCC, and London County CC. It is a magical place for people who love meeting like-minded others – those who share a deep love and respect for what I believe to be the greatest of games.

Cricket needs West Indies to be a vibrant member of the international community. And, if the game is to be healthy on a global basis, the distribution of revenue must be more equal that is the case today.

Cricket needs West Indies to be a vibrant member of the international community. And, if the game is to be healthy on a global basis, the distribution of revenue must be more equal that is the case today. If not, leading players from the less well-rewarded regions around the world will opt for T20 Franchise cricket as their preferred employment.

If the regional domestic structure and the robust school/club structure which is needed to underpin the development of excellence, then the emergence of excellent cricketers happens by chance, not design.

Unless a person is already being raised in a family of cricket-lovers, where the insights get handed down to the next generation at meal times and in the local neighbourhood, as well as on the field of play, individuals are dis-advantaged because of the cost of cricket in comparison to other activities such as football and running.    

Can West Indies recover their status and become a well-resourced administrative body which can re-build its structure and infra-structure?

Recent reports suggest there is a significant black-hole in their finances. If so, can the Englishman Johnny Grave transform their fortunes as CEO? Can those entrusted with power and responsibility for the cricket operations such as Ricky Skerritt, Jimmy Adams and Phil Simmons be given the necessary tools and support to enable good men to continue to make a positive impact on the world? Can the Board find a way to re-integrate the greats of the game such as Sir Viv Richards, Michael Holding, Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes, Joel Garner, Courtney Walsh and co. into the aspects of the operation, should each individual be so willing in their retirement phase?

West Indies upcoming UK tour has only been able to happen because of West Indies willingness to travel during the COVID-19 threat. It speaks volumes for their desire to ‘get the game on’ and help ECB breathe life into the summer of 2020. I sincerely hope that their pay-off will be more than just an opportunity to play good competitive Test match cricket. I would like to see ECB ‘adopt’ West Indies (and possibly other nations) by part-funding their operation until ICC decide to turn their eyes inwards and ask themselves if the funding model for cricket is really ‘in service of world cricket’?

Here’s wishing for a fun-filled summer of test cricket and a more collaborative approach to growing the game’s resources to underpin its’ future.    

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