Posted by Sometimes it’s good to introduce another voice. It’s not just about presenting alternative opinions, it’s also about changing the dynamic. Another viewpoint can make you see things in another way and that can bring a sense of freshness to proceedings.
The mainstream cricket media relies on a wide array of voices. Different players bring different areas of expertise or the perspective borne of having played in a different era. TV and radio commentary sees batsmen thrown together with bowlers and older players teamed up with those who have more recently retired. Most obviously, players from other Test playing nations are brought in to deliver greater insight into the touring team.
Here at King Cricket, we also thought that it would be interesting to bring an alternative perspective to the site. While many of you contribute via match reports or in the comments, there is a certain degree of like-mindedness inherent in being a regular reader of this site. We therefore sought out someone rather different.
It struck us that the easiest way to get an unusual perspective – one not really seen in other cricket publications – would be to speak to someone who doesn’t particularly follow cricket; someone who perhaps even actively dislikes it.
Tomorrow morning (Friday), we will bring you the first instalment of our new recurring feature, ‘I Don’t Like Cricket, I Hate It.”
It’s basically just us asking someone who hates cricket about cricket. That, to us, seemed infinitely more interesting than hearing the opinions of someone quite well-informed on the subject.
Giles Clarke?
Cannot. Effing. Wait.
I expect this to be even more hilarious than hearing what my Scottish colleagues think of the game. I could post some amusing quotes here but I don’t want to steal your thunder, KC (maybe I could contribute some in future though? It’s a rich vein of material up here).
This is an outrage. No, worse, this is heresy.
I suspected that one of my anthropomorphic devices might be the source of this; neither Benjy the Baritone Ukulele nor Ivan Meagreheart the Smartphone have ever declared themselves in writing to be cricket lovers. But try as I might, I was unable to beat a confession out of either of them.
I then tried to calm myself down by playing Benjy, but for some reason he sounds terrible today. Then I thought I might call KC and ask him to name the heretic – perhaps I should have thought of that approach in the first place – but strangely Ivan seems unwilling or unable to place or receive calls at the moment.
So I guess I’ll have to wait and see who the outspoken unbeliever is, like the rest of you.
While you are waiting in horror and disbelief, some of you might be comforted by my Ogblog report on the Edgbaston test. It breaks the KC mentioning cricket rule but it is entirely consistent with the principle of loving cricket and the miscellany of life experience that can so often happen alongside cricket:
http://ianlouisharris.com/2016/08/05/the-heavy-rollers-edgbaston-england-v-pakistan-days-one-to-three-3-to-5-august-2016/
It’ll be distinct.
I’m in favour as I enjoy reading the opinions of people who are wrong.
First instalment will, by necessity, be a bit ‘getting to know you’. Once that’s out of the way, wrong opinions will doubtless pour forth.
At the very top of the table so prominently featured on your last post is a team with a record of P812, W4, D8.
That would be an interesting thing to stick under the nose of someone who hated cricket to start with, but I don’t think it would succeed in bringing them round to a more enlightened opinion.
P812, W4, D8, L800 presumably? Is the Leicestershire’s record over the past however many seasons?
Oh fiddlesticks.
Good call, BailOut. We’ll line that one up for next time.