Is there a sport in which tradition clashes with progression more than cricket?
I have always been honest to admit that I am not a cricket aficionado, but I have increasingly followed the sport over the last four years and am fascinated by some of the opposing dynamics within it.
This week it was reported in a national newspaper that the incoming MCC President, Clare Connor, wanted to commemorate Rachael Heyhoe Flint by erecting a statue or naming one of the Lords gates in her honour and this had been met with some ‘resistance’ from within the MCC . One member allegedly saying the move smacked of “gesture politics”.
As much as I am not a cricket expert, I do know who Heyhoe Flint is and more importantly the enormous contribution she has made to women’s cricket. Without her pioneering contribution to cricket, the women’s game might not be anywhere near where it is now.
The most alarming part of this reporting is actually not that there was some resistance, it was that it has taken until 2021 for someone to suggest that Heyhoe Flint’s contribution to the sport to be officially commemorated! How the tradition of the MCC can find the slightest resistance to this idea is beyond me.
I am also proudly supporting The Hundred this summer and am really looking forward to seeing what impact this new tournament will have. It is different and exciting and could have a huge impact on the revenues that cricket can generate in the UK.
During a time in which new monies are needed in sport more than ever, I am puzzled why people are still finding things to moan about the tournament, whether it be rule changes or different terminology.
Even more puzzling within all of this is that cricket literally revolutionised itself back in 2003 by inventing Twenty20 Cricket which is now globally embraced, admired and has been enormous for global revenues for the sport. It is almost like cricket has this inbuilt resistance to change but when it is finally forced through everyone forgets the fuss they kicked up and moves on to resist the next potential change!
I absolutely understand and respect how important the traditions of a sport are, but I also made my name within a niche sport and know how many challenges that brings.
Cricket will always have the strawberries and champagne, like NFL will always have tailgating; but that doesn’t mean that the sport doesn’t need to quickly move with the times whether that is rightly commemorating a female legend of the sport or coming up with new tournaments or features to capture the attention of more fans.
Cricket is a wonderful sport with a deeply passionate global audience. I have really enjoyed learning more about it, but I wish that there would be less time spent on resisting things that dare to move the sport forward. Once upon a time, someone dared to take a risk on Twenty20 Cricket which seemed to work out just fine.
