Posted by We like the way people are talking about ‘the draft proposal’ as if that’s in some way a unique label. The damn thing needs branding. We need some shorthand so that Cricinfo don’t have to invest a paragraph at the start of every article explaining what it is.
The other day, we said we’d written about whatever-it’s-called twice. The first article questions whether it would really be so bad if one of The Big Three (is ‘the big three’ enough of a thing to warrant capitalisation?) were relegated. The second’s just been published on Cricinfo. It’s about relenting and letting Australia, England and India do whatever they want in the hope that maybe they’ll learn from the experience.
“By year ten, this insular, idiotic monster has eaten itself.” Excellent stuff!
Well said.
Having spent the last few years arguing that sport is not business, there is a business analogy that fits the bill. The teams / nations are like companies, striving to get to the top of the pile, not concerning themselves with their rivals’ interests. The governing body is (ought to be) like the monopolies commission, fighting against that process, maintaining a strong field of participants on behalf of the public.
But more and more in sport, the monopolies commission is being run by the companies, for their own ends. Imagine suggesting that three supermarket chains take over the control of the food sales market. A good idea? Well yes, for those on the commission. But a disaster for all the other supermarkets, and by extension an equal disaster for the customers.
Perhaps Ian McLaurin should be given the casting vote, with the proviso that everything he agrees to will be enacted on Tesco by a big three of M&S, Asda and Sainsbury’s.
I’m more a wicket man myself, but David Miller hit a enormous six yesterday in the SA domestic hit-an-giggle. And for those following the SA wicketkeeping situation, Tsolekile gave the gloves to de Kock, and then promptly dropped two sitters in the outfield.
I was simply delighted with the number of chubby cricketers on the field in that match.
Saddens me greatly, although it doesn’t surprise me, that the ECB have been involved in this débâcle. Saddens me enough to copy and paste the word with the accents included.
No three way high five will work without West Indian involvement. Obviously.
Interesting that someone outside your readership seems to have picked up on the similarity between this proposal and your 5 part article. From the stands:
January 23, 2014, 18:41 GMTBy Mayisha Kabir OMG this reminds me of a piece published on Page 2 by somebody ( forgot the author) but that guy kinda predicted this sorta situation….. It was clearly meant as a joke but reality is not as funny.
How does it feel to be ‘that guy’?
Pretty good actually, but that’s largely because you write a five-part short story about cricket administration and you pretty much assume it’s gone unread.