A friend sent me a poem recently. I think the intention was to keep my spirits up during the lockdown period and also to ‘flag up’ the dangers associated with memory.
Here is an extract –
“Once the storm is over,
you won’t remember how you made it through,
how you managed to survive.
You won’t even be sure, whether the storm is really over.
But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm,
you won’t be the same person who walked in.
That’s what this storm is all about.”
In this surreal period of ‘Lockdown’ since March, the 3 month period of isolation will have affected everyone, in different ways. For those of us whose lives are so connected to live sport, and to inter-acting with people socially, it has been very odd. But, in line with having a broad perspective, it is only a discomfort – our physical health is not directly affected.
Forgetfulness is not a trait that impacts me. But, I do experience a tendency to look back on situations more fondly than I may have experienced them at the time. Sometimes, my ‘rose-tinted spectacles’ serve a welcome purpose. I selectively delete some of the less attractive moments, or indeed some the characters who may have been less than helpful at the time, and have the capacity to create a more attractive ‘edit’ in my head.
Perhaps I will do the same with ‘Lockdown’?
One particularly positive effect of the extended time spent at home has been the opportunity to re-evaluate much of what I do, and how I do it. And, similarly, it has given me a chance to look at professional sport and consider how best those in charge might navigate their way out of the difficulties it has presented.
Professional cricket’s reliance on broadcasting income is clear. And, because ‘The Big 3’ in world cricket (India Australia & England) generate the highest revenue when playing their role in ‘the new normal’ will need to be assessed.
Can Test cricket continue in its current guise when the game returns? Will there only be iconic series between ‘The Big 3’? Will other Test nations be ‘happy’ about losing a form of the game which requires financial losses to be absorbed at the same time as their calendar gets filled with a series of 15 days of Test cricket, plus warm-up matches and practice days?
Can Test cricket continue in its current guise when the game returns? Will there only be iconic series between ‘The Big 3’? Will other Test nations be ‘happy’ about losing a form of the game which requires financial losses to be absorbed at the same time as their calendar gets filled with a series of 15 days of Test cricket, plus warm-up matches and practice days? In its’ place may be more ODI’s and T20 events.
If this change of emphasis were to become ‘the new normal’, I predict that franchise cricket will take over the majority of the calendar. Specific countries (India & IPL) will become the cricketing equivalent of Wimbledon, or The Open Championship in its’ status. The top players in any sport aim to produce ‘peak performance’ in ‘The Majors’ and in tournaments where their profile and income will be best rewarded. Test cricket may become unaffordable for National Cricket Boards to host. The cost of event promotion, and the level of expertise required to host ‘big cricket’ may bankrupt some Test match playing nations.
Few sports can sustain heavy financial losses unless the players have no other employer in the world. If the broadcasters don’t pay for ‘the privilege’ of hosting the events, ticket sales through public attendance will never allow for the necessary underpinning of professional employment for players. Sports will only survive as a part-time profession except for the very best performers around the world.
My sense is that cricket in England will need to become semi-professional for the majority if it is to survive financially in the future.
My sense is that cricket in England will need to become semi-professional for the majority if it is to survive financially in the future. This may be a good thing, if not for those who are currently earning a good living from ‘the fat’ provided by Sky Sports’ generosity.
If part-time cricket were to become ‘the new normal’, then would the standard of play drop? Or might a broader group of players be enthusiastic about the opportunity to represent their county whilst at university, or college to augment their income whilst having to pay for their professional studies?
Such an existence may also serve players better, in the long run, to be ‘in the real world’ earlier rather than having to begin a new career in their 30’s?
To any person reading this who is familiar with the Sheffield Shield in Australia in the 1950’s, 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, they may feel that I am calling for a ‘back to the future’ existence. Only the elite players in Australia got rewarded for playing the sport – not that I am advocating for this – and clearly the standard of play and player was high based on the quality of cricketer selected to play for Australia as a consequence of excelling at Sheffield Shield level.
The historical Australian system seemed to enable the student, the teacher, the self-employed manual worker, the lawyer and the dentist to have a chance to compete on a level playing field at state level and still hold the dream of playing cricket for their country. Today it is impossible to combine the twin aspirations of parallel careers, partly due to the schedule of matches and the requirement to train and practice together as a professional unit.
But, if the money wasn’t in place to service the profession, would the sport die? I doubt it. I reckon it will improve club cricket and will go some way towards sorting out the entitled attitude that can develop in the minds of some young professional players who are both protected by favourable employment contracts and from having to play against some ‘hard-nosed’ league cricketers who would want to impose their experience and ‘nous’ in the face of competition. The game may the winner if it were to become more open to all at senior level.
And, if local and regional clubs were funded properly, instead of Sky Sports’ money going in to a pot that feeds an ever-increasing population to administer the sport as well as the professional players, then the sport’s grass roots may be tended in a way which will provide a long-term sustainable healthy future.
It may be that everything will return to ‘as it was’ before COVID-19. But, if it doesn’t, then I am one of the advocates for a broader-based cricket system that prioritises the many excellent cricket clubs across all the cities and towns in England.
It may be that everything will return to ‘as it was’ before COVID-19. But, if it doesn’t, then I am one of the advocates for a broader-based cricket system that prioritises the many excellent cricket clubs across all the cities and towns in England.
Without a healthy foundation to build a sport’s competitive infra-structure, and without an enthusiasm from the playing population to be incentivised by the chance to play more often against the best players in the country, then a sport becomes fragmented and less competitive over time.
WITHOUT QUALITY YOUNG PLAYERS EMERGING FROM A SYSTEM, THE TOP END OF A SPORT HAS TO RECRUIT PLAYERS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE TO FILL ITS’ PROFESSIONAL DOMESTIC TEAMS. Sound familiar?
Yes, The FA Premier League is a poor reflection on the quality of player development within the UK. And, county cricket too has become a playground for South Africans and other foreign nationals too, in the past two decades. Perhaps it is time to re-distribute the game’s resources and make it ‘ONE GAME’ as the ECB like to say it is. A more ‘joined-up’ game between amateur (recreational cricket) and professional may be the solution to the game’s impending financial woes.
Maybe professional cricket will never be the same again?
If the opportunity to play sport at elite level becomes more accessible to all, then I for one, am all for it. And if local clubs can be better financed to enable better facilities for all, especially the women’s game, then it must be a good thing. Professional sport must adapt if it is to survive.
For example, if the IPL didn’t exist, and the BBL hadn’t been a success, many South African and West Indian players would have had to earned their income playing in their own country’s domestic tournaments.