January 15 2001

CRICKET MEETS THE 21st CENTURY

[part 2] <<Part 1<<

Cricket's image has been dealt a severe dent as match-fixing allegations are ripping apart the one-day international format. Asian bookmakers, along with respected players have been found to be fixing the outcome of matches. The final list of the guilty and the innocent will never be clear as accusations and counteraccusations fly across the global game. The doomsayers who are periodically drawn to Test cricket were especially strident towards the end of the 20th century.

"Their voices grew louder as a game rich in history and tradition succumbed to commercialism and was steadily consumed by the unsatisfying, mostly unmemorable - and evidently, often corrupt - one-day form of the game."
(Coward 2000: 42)

This stain on the image of the game is based upon information and money, which is the basis for most of the big global corporations ideals. As well as ridding the game of dishonest players, the governing body must reduce the bloated number of one-day matches being played to make them more meaningful. The quality and not quantity theory also applies.

One issue concerning the game is the ability and willingness to change the outdated traditions. The ECB have to get things passed by the 18 counties before any major changes happen. On a global scale, the ICC (International Cricket Council) is dominated by the votes of the major Test playing countries, which outweigh those views and opinions of the 53 associate and affiliate members.

In England, the county game has received a shakeup, trying to cut down on the amount of cricket being played, in order to create a better-equipped national team. The sheer volume of one-day cricket played is a big issue. Consequently, audiences for the longer form of the game are low, so county clubs need the revenue from one-day matches to survive. Individual counties were unwilling to change the current setup, even though our cricketers are the hardest working of any country.

In broadcasting terms, the one-day, day-night floodlit form is easier to broadcast and market, and now that BSkyB have bought most of the rights, with their multiple channels, they can broadcast as much as they want. Quantity versus quality is the argument that rages around satellite and cable broadcasting, as more channels mean more programming. Alternatively, maybe just more repeats. Sport is one of the few areas, where new content is continuous.

One recent global versus local argument rages between the English counties and the English Cricket Board (ECB), who gave 12 players central contracts in 2000, bringing them under more control from the ECB than their home county. They could be pulled out of county games to rest them for international fixtures. Which level of the game is more important? A bit of a chicken and egg situation, but if the counties would bite the bullet and cut back further the quantity of cricket played, there would be little need for this enforcement.

Centralization is also becoming commonplace in the media industry. Larger companies buying out smaller titles or broadcaster and then centralizing the output, cutting costs, but losing a truly regional feel. Most industries of the west are involved in downsizing to stay competitive in a modern capitalist market. Survival of the fittest is not so good for the smaller businesses, being the Ôbig cheeseÕ as a recent Barclays bank advert commented, is seen as the pinnacle of achievement.

The ICC has been accused of having Ôno teethÕ as itÕs proposals can be vetoed by the powerful Test nations. The recent match-fixing scandal has shown them to be less than decisive and lacking in real power to change. The game must become truly global, appealing to all corners of the globe and not just those former British colonies. To achieve this the ICC must push through proposals to increase the number of Test playing countries, which is the only definitive way of attracting more fans and viewers.

The England team's recent signs of resurgence followed a decade of poor performances. This coupled with an ever more powerful and resourceful media, critical of failure, has led to increased pressure. Especially on the public image of those in charge. Technology enables the audience to hear what is being said on the pitch via stump microphones; the role of the umpire comes under increasing scrutiny due to slow-motion replays and enhanced imaging of the path of the ball in controversial decisions.

There has been an increase in number of cricket journalists that are former players, capable of passing on knowledgeable commentary on screen and in print. Similarly in the world of entertainment, singers now act and [ghost?] write diaries and biographies of their career, or maybe just the last couple of years. The current shelf life of any performer, as of any sportsman is short in a fickle world, where a hungry tabloid media are always looking for a story. New artists are flogged to death, making as much cash before the next prodigy arrives. Similarly, the number of England Test players with only one appearance in the last twenty years shows a selection process looking for quick results.

The Internet has been used to transmit audio and video coverage of tournaments, increasing the coverage to a mass audience. The coverage is limited to major organizations, and one website in particular which acts as a portal for the Test playing countries. Cricinfo runs eight of the 10 Test playing Cricket has been slow to take on the commercial attitudes of fellow global sports such as rugby and football, but the English game is beginning to catch up with the rest of the sporting and media world.

The main problem is the setup of the governing bodies and their ability to formulate decisions and wield their power effectively and swiftly. A balance between the deep traditions and heritage of the game must be set against the need to survive financially, and the onslaught of the media and its all-encompassing global power base.

Recent events such as the introduction of a Test world championship will go some way to redressing the balance and giving new purpose to the game on a global level.

Richard Kendall