Cricket has always been a force for good in my life. From playing in the back garden as small children – my brother pretending to be Mike Atherton, me Alec Stewart – to playing my first game since school last summer, it has been an ever present in my life.
At its best, cricket is like fine art. The game becomes more intricate and beautiful the more you study it. In a way, cricket has provided a form of therapy throughout my life.
From snatching a quick look at a village bowler trundling in on a Saturday afternoon whilst out on a walk, to spending days on end watching test matches played out between the best players in the world, the ebb and flow of a game has provided a place to escape from the stresses of life.
As such, the findings of the report by the Independent Commission for Equality in Cricket felt like they challenged one of my core beliefs, that cricket can be an overwhelmingly positive part of your life.
The report found that racism, classism, sexism and ableism are widespread in cricket in England and Wales. To read that others had been excluded and abused through cricket hurt on an almost fundamental level.
Reading the findings of the report filled me with disappointment, but not surprise. The testimony of Azeem Rafiq, in particular, shone a light into cricket’s darkest corners and hopefully will be the catalyst for change.
I am currently reading Beyond a Boundary by CLR James. James is considered one of the greatest cricket writers of his generation and an influential Marxist theorist, writing at length on independence for the former British colonies in the Caribbean. Although the relevance of James’ work may not immediately obvious, many of the topics he writes on remain relevant today.
In Beyond a Boundary, James speaks of the need to treat the questions of race and class as one, a sentiment eloquently echoed by Ebony Rainford-Brent. As always, sport is holding up a mirror to society, and we increasingly live in a society where access is the privilege of the wealthy – be that to sport, music or the arts. This isn’t cricket’s problem alone, but one where it is acutely felt.
If, as James states, “cricket is first and foremost a dramatic spectacle. It belongs with theatre, ballet, opera and the dance”, then cricket may be destined to become less diverse, not more. Played only at private schools, in areas where councils haven’t been forced to sell pitches to cover budget shortfalls caused by years of relentless austerity.
Test matches in England cannot be viewed on terrestrial TV. Tickets are becoming more expensive each year. The cost of equipment is an often insurmountable barrier to entry. It is hard to see how cricket can attract players from all backgrounds without a radical change.
It is against this backdrop that Ben Stokes’ men’s test side take on Australia. This week’s game should be the blue-chip event of the cricketing summer – an Ashes test match at Lord’s. England go into the game chastened but not broken, after a narrow defeat in the first test at Edgbaston. Ben Stokes, though, does not fit the mould of the English cricketing establishment. State educated, straight talking and willing to go against received wisdom, he has overseen the transformation of how the test team plays. England’s cricketing establishment needs more mould breakers and fewer committee men in positions of power.
England’s ultra attacking style of play has been criticised more than at any other point of Stokes’ captaincy. Many are pleading with the team to revert to a more conservative style of play. Stokes will hold his nerve and England will not compromise their principles.
In his last article, when writing about Ian Botham, CLR James said, “The infallible sign of greatness is that somewhere in his methods he is breaking the rules, or if not rules, the practices of his distinguished equals”. This could equally applies to Ben Stokes’ captaincy of England.
Beating Australia in swashbuckling style at Lord’s would not solve the systemic issues which the game faces in this country. But it may be the first step in inspiring a new generation of fans. After all, in the words of James, “Cricket is an art”. Art should be enjoyed by all, not just a privileged elite.
Related: Stokes and McCullum are right – now is the time to be more aggressive
