The strangest dilemma-full toss

In the afternoon everyone. It’s been a long time, so I think I’d better check it. A lot has happened in the cricket world in recent weeks and I feel it is necessary to comment. Having said that, I am worried that this will be a temporary resurfacing. Regular visitors to this blog will know that I temporarily lost my enthusiasm for games. A very frustrating racism scandal does not help anyone, let alone a disillusioned fan who is once again passionate about British cricket.

Sadly, the past few weeks have opened my eyes. I always find it strange that there are so few black British players in professional cricketers. I remember there were many in the 1980s. But apart from Daniel Bell Drummond, Keith Barker, Tymal Mills and Chris Jordan, I can hardly imagine that there are too many other people currently trading on domestic cricket treadmills. At the same time, although players from Asian backgrounds have recently been better represented, considering the popularity of casual cricketers from Indian and Pakistani backgrounds, the number is still far less than it should be.

However, although this topic has occasionally aroused my interest in the past, I have never really considered this imbalance, although it is worth it. I certainly don’t think that institutional racism is the cause. Therefore, the recent revelations are shocking. There are too many players now accusing so much that they view racist narratives as fantasies fabricated by failed professionals.

Asem Rafiq (no matter what mistakes he made in the past) and some of the abuse suffered by people like Jahid Ahmed and Maurice Chambers really make me feel sad. I also saw an interview with Amjad Khan (former Kent and England pacemaker) on Sky, who is now a lawyer. Several other players with similar stories have apparently approached him. Therefore, in addition to the huge dumpster fire, there is too much smoke.

In a way, I feel stupid. After all, I have always believed that racism is a problem unique to English football (in sports anyway). Now we find that the racist abuse in the cricket locker room seems to be worse. I certainly don’t think that top English football has a different racial base and will tolerate the same level of sinister, naive and ignorant behavior in professional clubs.

Of course, the center of this scandal is the European Central Bank. They have been slow to react-remember that Rafik’s now independently confirmed accusation is not the first time racism has risen-and it has basically made the problem worse. Why am I not surprised?

I always think that the European Central Bank is an incompetent organization, this is just another example. They only seem to work hard when they need to earn bonuses and accumulate personal honor. After all, this is exactly the purpose of creating The Million. It was never about “developing the game” and making it easier to use. It’s about self and appearance. But this is another story entirely.

Watching Tom Harrison’s appearance on the DCMS committee last week reminded me why it is difficult for me to identify with cricket these days. He is full of habitual avoidance and corporate conversations. Before the ECB intervened, the decision to allow Yorkshire to conduct its own late investigation and then punish itself (or rather not punish itself) was blamed on outdated agreements. So, who made these agreements? Of course, it is the responsibility of the governing body to re-examine the procedures for dealing with such important issues, or at the latest when allegations of racism are made? As always, the European Central Bank is reactionary, rather than leading the run rate.

This is a big problem, we can no longer trust the people running our games. They completely completed the PR and the subsequent launch of The Million, so they managed to alienate long-term “customers” before the biggest financial gambling in the history of British cricket, and then when they withdrew from the short T20, they shamefully let Pakistan down the series ——The series should have paid for Pakistan’s visit to our coast during the peak of the Covid pandemic. Now we have the latest mess. Can the ECB really go lower?

Because of the way British cricket works, I now find myself wondering for the first time in my life whether I really want us to win The Ashes. Normally, a loose green field will make me immediately wave the red and white flag of St. George (even if the team itself is waving the white flag). However, this time I want to know whether British cricket is really worthy of success. After all, it is currently morally bankrupt. At the same time, the development direction of British cricket, as the franchise erodes the tradition of the game and the primacy of first-class cricket, makes me even more frustrated.

Basically, I did not win this winter. If England wins the Ashes in some way, which is not so far-fetched after Ben Stokes returns, Harrison and the European Central Bank will receive a lot of credit-even if the success will nevertheless, not because of them. More importantly (and more importantly), the European Central Bank’s shameful treatment of racism and its disgraceful treatment of Pakistan will be largely forgotten.

However, on the other hand, Australia’s victory will be as bad as the Australian Ashes’ victory. No one likes to see their team lose to old enemies, especially when the team includes proven cheaters like David Warner and, to a lesser extent, Steve Smith. Therefore, I am not sure how much I will actually invest in this series.

Of course, it is very likely that seeing Jimmy Anderson running into the bowl and Joe Root defensive is enough to get me on my feet again. I like some of our cricket players (if not all), it is impossible not to expect them to perform well. I think Joe is the best batsman in my 35-year cricket career, but his resume desperately needs to show the advantage below. Same as Ben Stokes. He is an excellent all-around player, but before he can be called a true England great player, he needs to prove that he can win the game in the cruelest cauldron of cricket.

So basically I have two ideas. There is no best result this winter. Maybe, therefore, I just watch Ashes as an impartial observer, he just wants to see some good cricket and the success of certain individuals. More importantly, I definitely want to see a close match. After all, this will be the best result of testing cricket-this is the format of the game that many of us cherish the most but worry about the most.

What do you want to happen?

James Morgan

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