Did you see Monday’s Four Corners?
The link is below.
It’s a thing of typical beauty, by Quentin McDermott and Mary Fallon, entitled: The Great Cricket Coup.
http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/stories/2015/08/06/4288339.htm
It’s a breakdown of the governance of world cricket, featuring a staggering range of interviews and accounts.
Those interviewed include:
Gideon Haigh
Ian Chappell
Michael Holding
Ed Hawkins
Wally Edwards, Chair Cricket Australia
N. Srinivasan, Chairman ICC
Lord Harry Woolf, former Lord Chief Justice of England
Ehsan Mani, Chairman and President ICC 2003-06
Chaudhry Zaka Ashraf, Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board 2011-14
Tim May, former CEO International cricketers’ association
Lalit Modi, founder Indian Premier League
Ravi Sawani, Chief Anti-Corruption Investigator BCCI
Mukul Mugal, Former Chief Justice, High Court of Punjab
Rajeev Shukla, Chairman, Indian Premier League
Ed Joyce, Ireland batsman
What’s going on?
About David Wilson
David Wilson is a hydrologist, climate reporter and writer of fiction & observational stories. He writes under the name “E.regnans” at The Footy Almanac and has stories in several books. One of his stories was judged as a finalist in the Tasmanian Writers’ Prize 2021. He shares the care of two daughters and likes to walk around feeling generally amazed. Favourite tree: Eucalyptus regnans.
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Wally Edwards reminded me of a cross between Stephen Dank and Arthur Tunstall.
A continuous tri-series Aus/Eng/Ind forever, starring those who don’t want to play for “squeaky clean” Modi.
Srinivasan manages to pass the character test by who knows what contorted means.
Kerry Packer was right, “just haggling over the price”.
An excellent 4 Corners with only Haigh, Chappell, Holding, Hawkins, Ashraf, May and Joyce as winners.
Money hungry Australia and England should be disgusted with their behavior. No wonder there is so much angst around CA at the moment and I think the cricketing public have nearly had enough.
Don’t know what to think about Wally Edwards other than it is time for him to go.
How will the great game (Test Cricket) survive without the other nations taking part?
As we have said before- too much money and so easy to get.
Thanks for the arousal Peter
Citrus
e.r.,
The 4 Corners expose was good, and I am a sucker for any t.v. show/documentary/movie featuring cricket, but I am not sure that it broke any new ground. Put it this way – there were no new revelations which surprised me, or of which I was not already aware.
Has the ICC ever worked? In fact, there is much rotten about it, the IOC, and FIFA. Overarching bodies who are comprised of people who never really seem to have at heart the interests of those they represent.
To paraphrase IM Chappell, who was paraphrasing PJ Keating, who was paraphrasing J Lang: “In the race of life always back self-interest. At least you know it’s trying!”
Governance of sport is a massive issue.
It would be great if 4 Corners or a similar investigative program could dedicate itself for a while to exposing the systematic problems at the head of each sporting code. The consequences could be scary.
Wally by name………Swish called it correctly…..if you look at the test calendar for Oz it is clear what is going on…disgraceful…
I recall Wallys three test career against England in 1974-75 with scores of 5,4,29,0,30 & 0. If he wasn’t up to scratch as a test cricketer he seems even more inept as an administrator.. Like so many of his ilk he appears totally beholden to the BCCI and Indian cricket per se.
The power of Indian Cricket is overarching with for me the most blatant example of their willingness to throw their weight around being the “monekygate’ episode, where the ACB was only too quick to bend over for the BCCI. The ACB had no intention of supporting its own players if it put the BCCI off isde. Weak as..
Four Corners was great viewing , but how much of it was new ? The scary fact is that the BCCI juggernaut will control crickets destiny for the foreseeable future a sthere is no credible opponent. To paraphrase Xavier Herbert, “Poor fellow my sport!”
Glen!
Fair call to wonder how much of that was new news, but I very much enjoyed the story-telling, with key individuals.
But if we accept that cricket governance is corrupt, and do nothing, what does that say?
What options are there for the bewildered fan of a game, far far removed from authority?
How does such a fan advocate for the health of the greater game in the face of prevailing decisions?
And Tom, great point about the administration of other sporting codes.
It’s a general point, rather than one specific to cricket.
New film “Death of a Gentleman” just released on the same subject, made by Australian journalist Jarrod Kimber and Sam Collins.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cricket/11675634/Documentary-raises-questions-on-crickets-future.html
https://vimeo.com/128602718
Personally, I grew up with cricket as my first love. Now it would rank about #5. Jumped the shark long ago. Shed no tears.
Good one PB.
That Jarrod Kimber film looks a beauty.
I see there are plans for a silent protest at The Oval test.
And an online movement started. #changecricket.
And a petition.
http://www.changecricket.com/
Yeah, really looking forward to seeing DOAG. It was pretty well noted at the time that the changes at the ICC represented a take over of the game by the BCCI with the ECB and CA as its willing cronies. As with the AFL I despair at the corporate notion of growth that prevails. The best interests of the game represents whatever maximises TV revenue rather than what engages and enriches fans of the game. Might be time to sacrifice the beauty of the sport being played at the highest level for the truth of the local club.
Here’s a link to BBC Test Match Special podcast. Online for the next 13 days.
“Jarrod Kimber and Sam Collins chat to Jonathan Agnew ahead of the imminent release of their thought provoking film ‘Death of a Gentleman’, which exposes ‘fundamental flaws’ in the administration of the sport.”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02yy6mp
And a powerful piece in the UK Telegraph by Simon Heffer, on that very film.
“…It is customary when reviewing a film to build to a climax either of praise or disdain, but I shall not detain you. This is one of the most important documentaries I have seen, and by far the finest about cricket. No one with an interest in the game – including anyone who ever intends to pay again to watch a match – should fail to see it. I watched it with a mounting sense of grief, rage and disgust as it told the story of how three cricketing nations – England, Australia and, calling the tune, India – have stitched up international cricket and with it millions of cricket lovers all over the world.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cricket/international/11835269/The-enemy-within-cricket-is-killing-the-game.html
And now Gideon Haigh in Wisden’s: The Cricket Monthly
http://www.thecricketmonthly.com/story/921867/rule-of-three