McCullum Hits it Straight Yet Again

In a speech to the MCC that demonstrated a possible role for former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum in cricket’s future at administrative level, it was apparent that invaluable time has been lost in the bid to rid the game of gambling issues.

That McCullum found it necessary to take the International Cricket Council’s anti-corruption unit to task for the manner of its investigation into claims he made on match-fixing after having heard a lecture on the implications of failing to advise beggars belief.

It is all very well for the ICC to say afterwards that it has addressed the issues McCullum raised but the proof of the pudding will be in the eating.

Educating players about the sins of gambling is one thing, acting on incidents is another and the whole sorry case in which McCullum was involved gives no confidence that issues have been resolved.

The failure to find out how McCullum’s testimony was leaked suggests the ICC has not been trying too hard. Cricket’s administration has lost much ground in recent years, and while there are signs that the attempted bid to gain some form of hegemony by the financial heavyweights of the game, India, Australia and England have been halted, the fact remains that much still needs to be done before all is sorted.

But full marks for McCullum for taking his stance and hopefully his courageous stand will not have been in vain. It was interesting during his speech that McCullum talked about what had inspired him to play cricket initially, but which took so long to translate into achievement in international cricket.

His revelation that cricket was a game to be enjoyed came late in his career.

But it again begs the question about the system he came through that allowed that enjoyment that drew him to the game to be removed from his make-up. So often it is seen that once the shackles are removed from players who, having retired from one level of the game but who are not prepared to completely let go, play some of the finest cricket of their careers.

Fortunately, for New Zealand, McCullum had that realisation in a period that allowed him to become the country’s first Test triple century maker and to lead the side into its first World Cup cricket final.

In all the coaching advice, all the management puff, all the psychological babble put in front of players, where is the enjoyment factor?

How much better might international competition be if enjoyment was ratcheted further up the list of requirements for players.

It might be pipedream stuff, but McCullum was living evidence that it was a significant creative factor.

A cricket explosion in Europe?

Is it possible?

One of the unexpected sides of the humanitarian crisis in Europe could be a flowering of cricket in previously low-key associate member countries of the International Cricket Council.

Already Germany’s cricket body is being besieged with queries of where refugees from the Middle East can get a game of cricket.

While Syrians have been heading the numbers of refugees from their war-torn country, there have also been large numbers wanting to escape Pakistan and Afghanistan.

It is from their regions that the cricket bug has been carried. Consider this: in 2012 there were 1500 cricketers playing in 70 teams in Germany.

Heading into the 2016 summer there are over 4000 cricketers playing in 205 teams. The 100th club has just been registered. Because so many supplies have run out due to the demand, clubs are relying on a German supplier of coconut mats to set up pitches suitable for play.

Half of Germany’s Under-19 team comprises Afghans who have qualified through residency and more are expected.

Refugees have said sport has been one way of integrating into European societies, and in transit camps along the way cricket had provided one distraction from the monotony of their plight.

The longer term ramifications for cricket could be fascinating.

Lynn writes for GrownUps, courtesy of Golden Oldies & Vintage Sports Tours.

Read about Lynn McConnell here.